Relations of civil liberties and women's health satisfaction around the globe: The explanatory power of autonomy.

Research on how sociopolitical factors differentially affect the health and well-being of individuals is nascent and mechanisms responsible have not yet been identified. This work examined how the civil liberties afforded across 79 countries differentially affect the health satisfaction of men and women and tested one potential reason for this link: autonomy satisfaction, the experience of being choiceful, and free to express oneself. Women reported lower health satisfaction in countries that were lower in civil liberties, a relation mediated by autonomy. Implications for women and other marginalized groups most affected by a society's restrictive policies and norms are discussed.