Author: Dorota Weziak-Bialowolska1, Richard G. Cowden, Jason Paltzer, Piotr Bialowolski, Matt Bradshaw, R. Noah Padgett, Byron R. Johnson, Tyler J. VanderWeele (Global Flourishing Study)

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ABSTRACT

This study investigates childhood experiences that may shape adult religious and spiritual comfort (R/S-C) across diverse cultural contexts. Nationally representative cross-sectional data from 22 countries (N = 202,898) were analyzed using modified Poisson regression to examine the associations between adult R/S-C and 13 retrospectively reported early-life potential predictors in each country. The results were pooled across countries using a random-effects meta-analysis. Supplementary analyses assessed the robustness of the results against unmeasured confounding and sample composition. Regular attendance at religious services during childhood was consistently associated with higher adult R/S-C. Being female and aged 30–49 or 80+ also predicted greater R/S- C, though these effects were modest and only moderately robust to unmeasured confounding. Other childhood factors showed weaker associations with adult R/S-C in the pooled analysis, though cross- national differences were evident. Overall, early-life experiences show limited global association with adult religious and spiritual comfort, but their influence may vary by cultural and national context.