This study harmonized measures of hobby engagement and mental wellbeing across 16 nations (N = 93,263) to investigate the consistency of hobby benefits across different national settings. Hobby engagement prevalence varied significantly (51% in Spain to 96% in Denmark). Analyses revealed that having a hobby was consistently associated with fewer depressive symptoms, better self-reported health, greater happiness, and higher life satisfaction, independent of confounders. The strength of these associations and hobby engagement prevalence correlated with macro-level factors like life expectancy and national happiness, but country-level factors explained <9% of the variance. The findings suggest a universal benefit, highlighting the importance of ensuring equitable access to hobbies to promote healthy aging.

Hei Wan Mak, Taiji Noguchi, Jessica K Bone, Jacques Wels, Qian Gao, Katsunori Kondo, Tami Saito, Daisy Fancourt