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Cited by 585Nonprofit Sector and VolunteeringAging and Gerontology ResearchTourism, Volunteerism, and Development

Volunteering and Mortality Among Older Adults: Findings From a National Sample

Musick, M. A., Herzog, A. R., House, J. S.·1999·The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
DOI 10.1093/geronb/54b.3.s173
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Abstract

OBJECTIVES: Although a number of authors have proposed that older volunteers should benefit in terms of better health and well-being, few researchers have examined the issue empirically to see whether this is true. The purpose of this article is to build on this literature by empirically examining the association between volunteering and mortality among older adults. METHODS: Using data from a nationally representative sample, we use Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate the effects of volunteering on the rate of mortality among persons aged 65 and older. RESULTS: We find that volunteering has a protective effect on mortality among those who volunteered for one organization or for forty hours or less over the past year. We further find that the protective effects of volunteering are strongest for respondents who report low levels of informal social interaction and who do not live alone. DISCUSSION: We discuss the possibility that the curvilinear relationship we observe between volunteering and mortality is due to a combination of factors, including self-identity, role strain, and meaningfulness. Other research using more precise data is needed to determine whether these ideas are supportable.

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  • The remaining studies found statistically significant but contradictory associations between at least one measure of volunteering and mortality.

    “The remainder found statistically significant associations between at least one measure of volunteering status or intensity (e.g. frequency, hours spent, number of organisations supported) and mortality [26,38,47,50]. Interpretation was difficult, however, as studies reported statistically significant, but contradictory associations.”

    From Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers (2013) · cites this paper as [47]

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Authors
Musick, M. A., Herzog, A. R., & House, J. S.
Affiliations
University of Michigan (US)
ORCID
Herzog, A. R.
Venue
The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
1999-05-01
Volume
54B
Issue
3
Pages
S173-S180
ISSN
  • 1079-5014 (ISSN-L)
  • 1758-5368
DOI
10.1093/geronb/54b.3.s173
OpenAlex
W2104257773
Cited by
585
References
24
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 44 · 2012: 26
FWCI
40.62
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Journals of Gerontology Series B (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01ag009978-02)
  • National Institute on Aging (P01AG005561, R01AG09978-01, P01 AG05561)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
  • Social Sciences › Demography › Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development
Keywords
volunteering, mortality, older adults, informal social interaction, living alone, role strain, self-identity, meaningfulness, curvilinear relationship
MeSH terms
Aged, Aging, Female, Humans, Life Expectancy, Male, Mortality, Regression Analysis, Self Concept, Volunteers

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