Background Work-life balance is associated with health behaviors. In the face of digitalization, understanding this link requires a theory-based investigation of problematic internet use and perceived stress, which are so far unknown. Objective On the basis of the compensatory carry-over action model, this study aimed to determine whether problematic internet use and perceived stress mediate the relationship between health behaviors and work-life balance in two groups of internet users from different environments (residents in Germany and China). We also investigated whether the place of residence was a moderator. Methods An online questionnaire (N=877) was administered to residents from Germany (n=374) and China (n=503) in 3 languages (German, English, and Chinese). Moderated mediation analyses were run with health behaviors as the independent variable, work-life balance as the dependent variable, problematic internet use and perceived stress as the mediator variables, and place of residence as a potential moderator. Results On a mean level, individuals in Germany reported less problematic internet use and more health behaviors than individuals in China; however, they also had lower work-life balance and higher perceived stress. Results showed that health behaviors seem to be directly related to work-life balance in both groups. Among the residents of Germany, a partial mediation was revealed (β=.13; P=.01), whereas among the residents of China, a full mediation was found (β=.02; P=.61). The mediator role of perceived stress was compared with problematic internet use in all the serial models and the parallel model. Residence moderated the relationship between health behaviors and work-life balance: The interrelation between health behaviors and work-life balance was stronger in Germany (β=.19; P<.001) than in China (β=.11; P=.01) when controlling for other variables. Conclusions The findings of this study are in line with the compensatory carry-over action model. To promote work-life balance, individuals should perform health behaviors to help overcome problematic internet use and perceived stress. Both problematic internet use and perceived stress mediated health behaviors and work-life balance partially in German study participants and fully in Chinese study participants.

BACKGROUND Work-life balance is associated with health behaviors. In the face of digitalization, understanding this link requires a theory-based investigation of problematic internet use and perceived stress, which are so far unknown. OBJECTIVE On the basis of the compensatory carry-over action model, this study aimed to determine whether problematic internet use and perceived stress mediate the relationship between health behaviors and work-life balance in two groups of internet users from different environments (residents in Germany and China). We also investigated whether the place of residence was a moderator. METHODS An online questionnaire (N=877) was administered to residents from Germany (n=374) and China (n=503) in 3 languages (German, English, and Chinese). Moderated mediation analyses were run with health behaviors as the independent variable, work-life balance as the dependent variable, problematic internet use and perceived stress as the mediator variables, and place of residence as a potential moderator. RESULTS On a mean level, individuals in Germany reported less problematic internet use and more health behaviors than individuals in China; however, they also had lower work-life balance and higher perceived stress. Results showed that health behaviors seem to be directly related to work-life balance in both groups. Among the residents of Germany, a partial mediation was revealed (β=.13; <i>P</i>=.01), whereas among the residents of China, a full mediation was found (β=.02; <i>P</i>=.61). The mediator role of perceived stress was compared with problematic internet use in all the serial models and the parallel model. Residence moderated the relationship between health behaviors and work-life balance: The interrelation between health behaviors and work-life balance was stronger in Germany (β=.19; <i>P</i>&lt;.001) than in China (β=.11; <i>P</i>=.01) when controlling for other variables. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study are in line with the compensatory carry-over action model. To promote work-life balance, individuals should perform health behaviors to help overcome problematic internet use and perceived stress. Both problematic internet use and perceived stress mediated health behaviors and work-life balance partially in German study participants and fully in Chinese study participants.

Self-expressive functions of choice, routinely found in individualistic cultures, have also been evidenced in coUectivistic cultures, when choice involves culturally relevant aspects of the self. In this research, we focus on the perception of choice by others, and set off to determine which culture-specific contexts make a choice self-expressive, according to the disjoint and the conjoint model of agency. We predict that choice reflecting exclusive preferences, with clear boundaries between likes and dislikes, vrill be perceived as more diagnostic of the self for Westerners than choice reflecting inclusive preferences, with broadened likes, but no dislikes. However, choice reflecting inclusive preferences will be perceived as more self-expressive for Easterners than for Westerners. Results from a study comparing how Germans and South/Southeast Asians make inferences about choice, confirm our hypothesis. Perceptions of exclusive preferences as extrovert by Germans, but as introvert by South/Southeast Asians, mediate the effect of culture on choice diagnosticity, suggesting that choice can be self-expressive in both the West and the East, if it corresponds to basic premises about agency held in a given culture.

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