Identifying psychosocial and ecological determinants of enthusiasm in youth using machine learning

Youth wellbeing is a public health priority. Enthusiasm is a known component of wellbeing and positive affectivity. Using the 2019 OSDUHS survey responses, an Ontario-wide student survey that includes many factors (demographics, drug and alcohol use, physical and mental wellbeing measures, and many more), we applied XGBoost and Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) to determine which factors contribute to greater adolescent enthusiasm, and therefore wellbeing. We have found that higher self-rated physical health, family relationships, and school experience are the top contributors to greater enthusiasm in youth.