This study aims to develop the Social Allostatic Load Index (SALI) to assess accumulated societal stress in a form suitable for international comparisons and to evaluate stress levels across societies. Using five theoretical frameworks related to stre...
This study aims to develop the Social Allostatic Load Index (SALI) to assess accumulated societal stress in a form suitable for international comparisons and to evaluate stress levels across societies. Using five theoretical frameworks related to stress (Opportunity and Inequality, Housing and Environment, Social Norms and Relationships, Health-Related Vulnerability, and Alleviating Factors), the study selected international indicators and excluded those that did not sufficiently explain the constructs through
correlation analysis, resulting in an index comprising 45 indicators.
The study calculated SALI scores for 133 countries using data from international organizations such as the WHO, World Bank, UNICEF, and ILO. The analysis revealed significant positive correlations between each domain score and the overall SALI score. Both the domain scores and the SALI score demonstrated high internal consistency reliability, while significant correlations with external variables confirmed criterion validity. Based on SALI scores, countries were ranked, and cluster analysis grouped them into four levels of accumulated stress. The conclusion discusses the study’s limitations and implications.