Cross-national Analysis Research Articles

Framing the Xi–Biden meeting in news coverage: A cross-national comparative analysis

The highly anticipated meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden occurred at a critical moment amidst the ongoing global competition between these major powers. Countries in Southeast Asia, situated between the Sino-US rivalry, often face the pressure to align with one side. As global events unfold, audiences rely on news media for information. Guided by framing theory, this study examines cross-country variation in the coverage of the Sino-US meeting by news outlets in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines. A content analysis of 263 news articles revealed that ASEAN news outlets primarily depend on agency input to shape their news agendas. The theme of “advancing national interests” was predominant in ASEAN news coverage, with Malaysian media notably emphasizing this theme. The study also discusses the implications of these findings and offers recommendations for future research.

Health and relationship quality of sexual minorities in Europe

A growing body of literature investigates inequalities between sexual minorities and their heterosexual peers. This paper deals with disparities in health, health-related behaviours, and relationship quality among LGB+ individuals. We use a novel data set that allows for a wide cross-national analysis (27 EU member states) of disparities between sexual minorities and the rest of the population, as well as differences in reporting sexual orientation. We consider a rich set of social stressors, individual-specific behavioural factors, and health outcomes, as well as novel para-data (i.e., individuals’ response times) that are not available in other large surveys. The results indicate that sexual minorities are more exposed to stigma-related social stressors (both in childhood and adulthood), report worse physical and mental health conditions, feel more lonely, and are more likely to engage in coping strategies aimed at reducing or adapting to stressful conditions. Some of these findings significantly differ across gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals and with respect to household income, the country’s enforcement of sexual minorities’ rights, and relationship status.

Presidential Speeches in Chile (1832–2021): A Methodological Approach

In many countries, presidents offer annual addresses to their respective legislatures or citizens. These speeches serve as a platform for leaders to communicate their vision, achievements, and priorities. Presidential speeches are key instruments of political power, serving as tools for agenda-setting and public engagement. However, studies on presidential rhetoric are often limited by traditional methodologies that focus on specific leaders or short periods. This article addresses these limitations by applying Latent Dirichlet Allocation to analyze Chilean presidential speeches from 1832 to 2021, uncovering thematic patterns and their evolution over nearly two centuries. Chile’s case, with its stable democratic tradition and rich history of presidential messages, demonstrates Latent Dirichlet Allocation’s utility for comprehensive, long-term discourse analysis. Our findings highlight Latent Dirichlet Allocation’s effectiveness in capturing thematic shifts that reflect broader socio-political changes, showcasing its potential for studying executive speeches across various political systems. This methodology bridges computational analysis and qualitative inquiry, offering a replicable framework for comparative research. We conclude by discussing its broader implications for future studies on political communication and cross-national analysis.

Worse for Women, Bad for All: A 62-Nation Study Confirms and Extends Ambivalent Sexism Principles to Reveal Greater Social Dysfunction in Sexist Nations

We retested core ambivalent sexism theory tenets and explored novel correlations with national outcomes in 62 nations. Replicating Glick et al., cross-national analyses supported (a) hostile sexism (HS) and benevolent sexism (BS) as cross-culturally recognizable, complementary ideologies associated with gender inequality; (b) women appearing to be influenced by, but also resisting men’s HS and embracing BS to counter men’s HS (outscoring men in some highly sexist nations). Novel cross-national comparisons showed (a) men’s HS and both genders’ BS correlated with fewer women in paid work, whereas only BS correlated with domestic labor inequity, (b) both HS and BS correlated with accepting intimate partner violence toward women. Finally, HS and BS correlated with generally dysfunctional national outcomes: antidemocratic tendencies, less productivity, more collective violence, and lower healthy lifespan for both genders. Results reinforce that BS harms women and suggest men also have a stake in reducing sexist ideologies.

How Previous Fairness Experiences Affect Political Efficacy? A Cross-National Analysis of 23 European Countries

How Previous Fairness Experiences Affect Political Efficacy? A Cross-National Analysis of 23 European Countries

Corruption and the social legitimacy of the welfare state: A comparative cross-national analysis

In addition to reducing the effectiveness of welfare policies, a high level of corruption is argued to undermine the social legitimacy of the welfare state. In the current article, we subject this hypothesis to an empirical test by analyzing data from two rounds of the International Social Survey Program. We find that people have a greater preference for an extensive welfare state in countries where corruption is more widespread. Similarly, at the micro level, perceived corruption is associated with more support for welfare policies, though people who have experienced corruption show less support than others for welfare. The extent of corruption in a country also moderates the effects of two primary determinants of welfare preferences – self-interest and political affiliation.

MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH OF OLDER ADULTS: INSIGHTS FROM CROSS-NATIONAL CONTEXTS

Abstract Comparing the aging experience across country contexts offers a unique opportunity to determine whether observed differences in mental and physical health of older adults reflect a universal aging process or if they depend on the unique social and economic contexts in which older adults live. The HRS-family of surveys consists of nationally-representative, longitudinal studies of aging conducted in many countries around the world that have data and measures that have been harmonized within the Gateway to Global Aging data platform. This resource provides remarkable opportunities for cross-national comparative analyses of social and economic determinants of health and well-being among older adults. The papers in this session use these harmonized data to compare the aging experience across different social and economic exposures in multiple countries from around the world, including examinations of: 1) the role of exposure to recession and workplace security on psychological stress of older adults in the US and Korea; 2) the importance of resources and social status in mental health among widowed older adults in the US and India; 3) how caregiving relates to depression among informal family caregivers across 19 countries; and 4) the importance of migration status and country of residence for multimorbidity among Mexican Older adults in the US and Mexico. This symposium provides a comprehensive examination of how workplace, family, caregiving, and migration experiences contribute to health and well-being among older adults around the world.

Global, regional and national temporal trends in Parkinson's disease incidence, disability-adjusted life year rates in middle-aged and older adults: a cross-national inequality analysis and Bayesian age-period-cohort analysis based on the global burden of disease 2021.

Parkinson's disease (PD) ranks as the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder; however, its epidemiological characteristics among middle-aged and older adults at global, regional, and national levels remain inadequately documented. This study assessed temporal trends in PD among middle-aged and older adults by extracting incidence rates, disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates, and corresponding age-specific rates (ASRs) from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database spanning 1990 to 2021. Estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) was employed to analyze trends over the past 30 years. The slope index of inequality (SII) and concentration index (CI) were utilized to evaluate disparities in the burden of PD across various countries. Additionally, Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) modeling was applied to project DALY figures for the next 15 years. In 2021, the global incidence and DALY rates for middle-aged and older adults with PD stood at 79.68 and 477.50 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. Both incidence and DALY rates have exhibited an upward trajectory over the past 32 years, with EAPCs of 1.2 (95% UI: 1.1-1.3) and 0.6 (95% UI: 0.5-0.7), respectively. Among the five sociodemographic index (SDI) regions, the high-middle SDI region reported the highest incidence and DALY rates for PD in 2021, at 93.93 and 512.29 cases per 100,000 population, respectively. A positive correlation was observed between the SDI and age-specific incidence rate (ASIR) as well as age-specific DALY rate (ASDR). Disparities in the burden of PD among middle-aged and older adults, associated with SDI, are on the rise and are primarily concentrated in high SDI countries. It is projected that the global incidence and DALY rates for middle-aged and older adults with PD will experience significant increases over the next 15 years. The global burden of PD among middle-aged and older adults has markedly escalated over the past 32 years, particularly in high-middle SDI regions. These findings underscore the necessity for the development of effective interventions and public health policies, contributing to the attainment of the sustainable development goals established by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The decoupling of socioeconomic status, postmaterialism, and environmental concern in an unequal world: a cross-national intercohort analysis

Abstract There has been an intense yet inconclusive debate over the impacts of socioeconomic status (SES) and postmaterialism on environmental concern. Recent years have seen a growing interest in addressing the controversy by exploring the conditioning effect of social context. Previous studies of inequality argue that it unevenly exposes people to environmental degradation, reduces social cooperation, and erodes egalitarian values. This study integrates the two lines of research by linking social inequality to environmental sustainability and examines the extent to which inequality shapes the impact of SES and postmaterialism on environmental concern in the cross-national intercohort context. Analyses of multiple waves of the World Values Survey data using the hierarchical age-period-cohort modeling techniques suggest that contextual inequality substantially attenuates the effects of SES and postmaterialism. This relationship is consistent across countries with different economic development levels and more pronounced in older cohorts. The current study illustrates the importance of careful consideration of social conditions, the unequal distribution of income in particular, when examining predictors of environmental concern, and sheds light on the theorization of a more inclusive, balanced human-nature relationship.

National occupational safety and health systems: Exploring the underlying networks for future sustainable development

National occupational safety and health systems: Exploring the underlying networks for future sustainable development

The role of personal and cultural values on saving behavior: a cross-national analysis

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between human values and saving behavior, focusing on both personal and cultural values.Design/methodology/approachThe research utilizes data from the seventh wave of the World Values Survey (2017–2020) covering 67,278 respondents across 48 countries and the Hofstede Insights (2024). The study employs principal component analysis to validate the measurement of personal values and multilevel logit regression to explore the associations between personal (individual level) and cultural (country level) values and saving behavior.FindingsThe findings, grounded in the functional theory of values, indicate that individuals with personal values oriented toward individual goals and survival needs are more likely to save money, whereas those with values centered on social orientation and thriving needs are less inclined to save. On a cultural level, individualistic societies tend to save more, while countries with high levels of uncertainty avoidance are associated with lower saving behavior.Practical implicationsThis study provides further evidence that human values are important components of household savings behavior. Policymakers and stakeholders interested in fostering saving behavior should be aware of the role played by personal and cultural values when designing impactful policies and interventions. This process might involve encouraging survival traits and reducing economic uncertainty.Originality/valueThis study provides a comprehensive analysis of how personal and cultural values shape saving behavior across different societies. It contributes to the literature by highlighting the interplay between individual and societal factors in financial decision-making.

The impact of sex/gender-specific funding and editorial policies on biomedical research outcomes: a cross-national analysis (2000–2021)

Reflecting sex and gender characteristics in biomedical research is critical to improving health outcomes and reducing adverse effects from medical treatments. This study investigates the impact of sex/gender-specific funding policies and journal editorial standards on the integration of sex/gender analysis in biomedical research publications. Using data from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries between 2000 and 2021, we assessed how these policies influenced research output in the fields of medicine and life sciences. Our findings show that countries with progressive funding policies and journals promoting sex/gender-based reporting have significantly improved research quality and publication rates. This highlights the importance of coordinated policy efforts and editorial practices in advancing integrated sex/gender research. We recommend continued global efforts from policymakers, funding bodies, and journals to embed sex/gender perspectives in scientific inquiry, ensuring more effective and equitable biomedical advancements.

Progressing "Positive Epidemiology": A Cross-national Analysis of Adolescents' Positive Mental Health and Outcomes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

"Positive epidemiology" emphasizes strengths and assets that protect the health of populations. Positive mental health refers to a range of social and emotional capabilities that may support adaptation to challenging circumstances. We examine the role of positive mental health in promoting adolescent health during the crisis phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used four long-running Australian and UK longitudinal cohorts: Childhood to Adolescence Transition Study (CATS; analyzed N = 809; Australia); Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) - Baby (analyzed N =1,534) and Kindergarten (analyzed N = 1,300) cohorts; Millennium Cohort Study (MCS; analyzed N = 2,490; United Kingdom). Measures included prepandemic exposure: positive mental health (parent reported, 13-15 years) including regulating emotions, interacting well with peers, and caring for others; and pandemic outcomes: psychological distress, life satisfaction, and sleep and alcohol use outside of recommendations (16-21 years; 2020). We used a two-stage meta-analysis to estimate associations between positive mental health and outcomes across cohorts, accounting for potential confounders. Estimates suggest meaningful effects of positive mental health on psychosocial outcomes during the pandemic, including lower risk of psychological distress (risk ratio [RR] = 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.71, 0.97) and higher life satisfaction (RR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.0, 1.2). The estimated effects for health behaviors were smaller in magnitude (sleep: RR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.86, 1.1; alcohol use: RR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.85, 1.1). Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that adolescents' positive mental health supports better psychosocial outcomes during challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, but the relevance for health behaviors is less clear. These findings reinforce the value of extending evidence to include positive health states and assets.

Determinants of sodium intake knowledge and attitude: a cross-national analysis of socio-economic and health factors.

The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis across nations to: (1) identify the determinants influencing knowledge and attitudes related to sodium (Na) intake and (2) to analyse the association between knowledge and attitudes related to Na intake. We utilised a secondary data from a cross-sectional study that was conducted across seven nations. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilised to assess the impact of socio-economic and health-related predictors on knowledge and attitudes pertaining to Na intake and further to investigate the relationship between knowledge and attitude. Indonesia, Brazil, Thailand, Japan, France, the UK and the USA. 7090 participants aged 15 years and above were included in the study. SEM analysis showed a strong association between knowledge about Na intake and related attitude across all countries, particularly in the UK (2·65, 95 % CI 1·48-3·82), France (2·62, 1·45-3·79) and the USA (1·97, 1·21-2·73). In Brazil, Japan and France, individuals or family members having certain health conditions such as raised blood pressure, heart diseases, strokes or other diseases exhibited a positive attitude towards reducing Na intake. Conversely, socio-economic factors like education and income demonstrated the complexity of influences on knowledge and attitudes about Na intake. The study underscores the need for tailored public health interventions to reduce excessive Na consumption, considering the diverse cultural, social and economic factors. It highlights the complex determinants of knowledge and attitudes towards Na intake, calling for further research in varied populations.

Forum: Fostering Cooperation in Conflict Research Beyond Borders

In this forum article, we examine the state of the field of Peace and Conflict Studies in providing a platform to incorporate local knowledge to generate global insights. Many scholars in peace and conflict studies have traditionally relied on cross-national empirical analyses to investigate conflict dynamics, which can present opportunities for increased level of collaboration, methodological advancement, and interdisciplinary works. Whereas Western-oriented institutions and approaches serve as the locomotive of the production in the field, the vast majority of their data locates in non-Western contexts with diverse cultural, political, social, linguistic, and economic settings. Hence, the overarching theme of this forum emphasizes the benefits of an empirically-driven, methodologically rigorous research agenda that strongly incorporates local knowledge. We offer a platform to discuss the limits and prospects of Global North- South cooperation, the challenges of gathering dependable data, and the ways to overcome these issues while maintaining academic integrity and deepening our understanding of conflict dynamics. We believe that sustained investment in collaborative partnerships and capacity-building initiatives will be critical for unlocking the full potential of local expertise and insights in advancing knowledge-production and fostering peace and stability in conflict-affected areas.

Responding to COVID-19: an exploration of EU country responses and directions for further research.

During COVID-19, scientists advising policymakers were forced to deal with high uncertainty and risks in an environment of unknowns. Evidence on which policies and measures were effective in responding to the pandemic remains underdeveloped to answer the key question 'what worked and why?'. This study aims to provide a basis for studies to go further to answer this critical question, by starting to look efficacy or how countries ensured that health services remained available and what measures were enacted to protect and treat their populations and workers. We applied a three-phase sequential mixed methods design. In phase one, we started with a qualitative content analysis of the EU Country Profile reports to retrieve and analyse data on COVID-19 responses taken by 29 countries in the European region. Phase two is the step of data transformation, converting qualitative data into numerical codes that can be statistically analysed, which are then used in a quantitative cross-national comparative analysis that comprises phase three. The quantifying process resulted in a numerical indicator to measure the 'response efficacy' of the 29 countries, which is used in phase three's association of the response measure with country performance indicators that were derived from European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) COVID-19 case and death rate data. Through comparing the frequency of COVID-19 measures taken, we found that many countries in the European region undertook similar actions but with differing effects. The cross-national analysis revealed an expected relationship: a lower COVID-19 response efficacy appeared to be related to a higher case and death rates. Still, marked variation for countries with similar response efficacy indicators was found, signalling that the combination and sequence of implementation of COVID-19 responses is possibly just as important as their efficacy in terms of which response measures were implemented. Many European countries employed similar COVID-19 measures but still had a wide variation in their case and death rates. To unravel the question 'what worked and why?', we suggest directions from which more refined research can be designed that will eventually contribute to mitigate the impact of future pandemics and to be better prepared for their economic and human burden.

HINDERING POLICY CHANGE: Under What Conditions Have Marriage Equality Policies Been Hampered in Latin America?

Since 1993, over a hundred bills have been submitted to National Congresses in Latin America, proposing a shift from restrictive to permissive marriage equality or same sex partnerships regulations. Only five of 19 countries have approved legal changes, and five have done so in courts. Extant research has focused on the explanatory factors of the positive policy changes, but few studies have examined cases of hampered policies. This article aims to identify under what conditions marriage equality, as a moral policy, has stalled in Latin America. It contributes to our understanding of policy non-decisions by offering a cross-national analysis and overcoming the limitations of “mirror” strategies that explain negative cases solely by the absence of factors associated with positive change. It highlights the importance of studying conditions conjunctionally. High levels of religiosity can significantly influence political decisions and may obfuscate religious cleavages, as left-wing parties also engage in moral discourse.

When Elections Wait: A Cross-National Analysis of Election Postponement During the COVID-19 Pandemic

During the first 2 years of the coronavirus pandemic, over 150 countries had scheduled elections, but approximately half of them had to be postponed due to the pandemic. Why were some elections postponed while others were not? Despite its impact on the election calendar and democratic accountability, election postponement has received surprisingly little scholarly attention. In this study, I investigate the conditions under which elections are more likely to be delayed. Utilizing a comprehensive cross-national dataset encompassing election schedules worldwide, COVID-19-related factors, and other societal and institutional characteristics, I provide the first systematic examination of election postponement during the first 2 years of the pandemic. The empirical analysis reveals that national elections are less likely to be postponed compared to second-order elections such as subnational and special elections. Furthermore, it demonstrates that the momentum of the pandemic plays a significant role, and effective pandemic management and robust healthcare infrastructures decrease the likelihood of election postponement. On the other hand, institutional constraints have little impact. By shedding light on the factors driving election postponement, this study enhances our understanding of how crises can shape democratic processes.

Do political finance reforms really reduce corruption? A replication study

In their 2021 article published in the British Journal of Political Science, Calla Hummel, John Gerring, and Thomas Burt (henceforth Hummel et al.) examine the relationship between political finance reforms and corruption, concluding that state funding of political parties reduces corruption by diminishing reliance on private financing. Our replication study challenges this conclusion based on data accuracy and operationalization issues of their key explanatory variable – Political Finance Subsidy Index (PFSI) – and using alternative model specifications and regional subsamples. While our partial data corrections and re-coding do not significantly differ from the Hummel et al. findings, the substantial regional heterogeneity regarding public party funding – corruption relationship and the results’ sensitivity to alternative modelling choices such as two-way fixed effects, country fixed effects, and time fixed effects, cast doubt on the reliability of their results. Our findings underscore the methodological challenges in assessing the effects of public funding reforms and emphasize the need for refined measurements and careful consideration of regional contexts. Although public funding may help combat corruption under specific institutional conditions, its effects are not universally consistent, calling for greater caution in deriving policy implications from cross-national analyses.

Urbanization moderates the transitional linkages between energy resource use, greenhouse gas emissions, socio-economic and human development: Insights from subnational analyses in China

Urbanization moderates the transitional linkages between energy resource use, greenhouse gas emissions, socio-economic and human development: Insights from subnational analyses in China