Volunteering and health benefits in general adults: cumulative effects and forms

Although the health benefits of volunteering have been well documented, no research has examined its cumulative effects according to other-oriented and self-oriented volunteering on multiple health outcomes in the general adult public. This study examined other-oriented and self-oriented volunteerin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:BMC public health 2017-07, Vol.18 (1), p.8-8, Article 8
Main Authors: Yeung, Jerf W K, Zhang, Zhuoni, Kim, Tae Yeun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Adults
Aged
Altruism
Analysis
Career development planning
Cooperation
Cumulative effects
Depression
Education
Female
Health
Health aspects
Health outcomes
Humans
Male
Mental depression
Mental Health
Middle Aged
Minority & ethnic groups
Older people
Other-oriented volunteering
Participation
Personal Satisfaction
Public Health
Self-oriented volunteering
Social integration
Social networks
Social Participation
Sociodemographics
Studies
Subgroups
Texas
Volunteerism
Volunteers
Well being
Young Adult
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Summary:Although the health benefits of volunteering have been well documented, no research has examined its cumulative effects according to other-oriented and self-oriented volunteering on multiple health outcomes in the general adult public. This study examined other-oriented and self-oriented volunteering in cumulative contribution to health outcomes (mental and physical health, life satisfaction, social well-being and depression). Data were drawn from the Survey of Texas Adults 2004, which contains a statewide population-based sample of adults (n = 1504). Multivariate linear regression and Wald test of parameters equivalence constraint were used to test the relationships. Both forms of volunteering were significantly related to better health outcomes (odds ratios = 3.66% to 11.11%), except the effect of self-oriented volunteering on depression. Other-oriented volunteering was found to have better health benefits than did self-volunteering. Volunteering should be promoted by public health, education and policy practitioners as a kind of healthy lifestyle, especially for the social subgroups of elders, ethnic minorities, those with little education, single people, and unemployed people, who generally have poorer health and less participation in volunteering.
ISSN:1471-2458
1471-2458
DOI:10.1186/s12889-017-4561-8