Promoting Well‐Being Sustainability Through Voluntary Association Participation: Evidence From 55 Countries

ABSTRACT Promoting well‐being for all at all ages has become an important sustainable development goal for the United Nations. Although participation in voluntary associations (VAs) is widely considered an effective means of enhancing subjective well‐being (SWB), heterogeneity within VAs and their differential effects on SWB have been largely overlooked. Using World Values Survey (WVS) data from 72,319 individuals in 55 nations, this study investigated how different types of VA participation affect individual SWB. Two moderators—age at the individual level and individualism–collectivism at the cultural level—were incorporated to examine their interaction effects on this relationship. The results showed that participation in leisure and activist VAs was positively associated with SWB, while a negative effect was observed for interest VAs. Compared with their younger counterparts, older adults derived more benefits from leisure VAs and experienced fewer disadvantages from interest VAs. At the cultural level, the impact of engagement in leisure VAs was more pronounced in individualistic societies than in collectivist societies. This study clarifies the distinct impacts of VA participation, thereby providing structured guidance for improving individual SWB. The moderation results at the individual and societal levels also provide strategic insights into fostering well‐being sustainability in diverse populations and cultures.