Impacts of Adolescent and Young Adult Civic Engagement on Health and Socioeconomic Status in Adulthood
Abstract
The present study examines links between civic engagement (voting, volunteering, and activism) during late adolescence and early adulthood, and socioeconomic status and mental and physical health in adulthood. Using nationally representative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a propensity score matching approach is used to rigorously estimate how civic engagement is associated with outcomes among 9,471 adolescents and young adults (baseline Mage = 15.9). All forms of civic engagement are positively associated with subsequent income and education level. Volunteering and voting are favorably associated with subsequent mental health and health behaviors, and activism is associated with more health-risk behaviors and not associated with mental health. Civic engagement is not associated with physical health.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In a longitudinal study of 13,014 U.S. high school students, activism had a positive effect on health-risk behavior.
“+ effect of volunteering and voting with mental health and health behav- ior; + effect of activism and health-risk behavior”
From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Ballard et al. (2019)
In a longitudinal study of 13,014 U.S. high school students, voting had a positive effect on mental health and health behavior.
“+ effect of volunteering and voting with mental health and health behav- ior; + effect of activism and health-risk behavior”
From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Ballard et al. (2019)
In a longitudinal study of 13,014 U.S. high school students, volunteering had a positive effect on mental health and health behavior.
“+ effect of volunteering and voting with mental health and health behav- ior; + effect of activism and health-risk behavior”
From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Ballard et al. (2019)
Most studies in the mental health area were longitudinal, and thus more suitable for assessing causality.
“The main advantage of the existing literature in this area is that most studies were longitudinal (Ballard et al., 2019 ; Boehnke & Wong, 2011 ; Hope et al., 2018 ; Wiium et al., 2023; Wray-Lake et al., 2019 ), and thus more suitable for assessing causality.”
From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Ballard et al., 2019
Protest action had no relation to depressive symptoms.
“Regard -ing protest action, Ballard et al. ( 2019) found no relation to depressive symptoms”
From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Ballard et al., 2019
Social engagement and voting reduced various risky health behaviors among American youth.
“Social engagement (Ballard et al., 2019 ; Nicotera et al., 2015 ) and voting (Ballard et al., 2019) reduced various risky health behaviors among American youth.”
From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Ballard et al., 2019
Protest action can lead to an increase in anxiety and risky health behavior.
“Regarding other indicators of mental health, existing lit -erature showed that protest action can lead to an increase in anxiety (Hope et al., 2018 ) and risky health behavior (Ballard et al., 2019 ).”
From The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review (2025) · cites this paper as Ballard et al., 2019
Cites
The CES-D Scale: A Self-Report Depression Scale for Research in the General Population
Radloff, L. S. (1977) · Applied Psychological Measurement · doi:10.1177/014662167700100306 · Cited by 53,267 · see citing works
Austin, P. C. (2011) · Multivariate Behavioral Research · doi:10.1080/00273171.2011.568786 · Cited by 12,242 · see citing works
The American Psychological Association
Langfeld, H. S. (1919) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.49.1254.51 · Cited by 7,453 · see citing works
SOME PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROPENSITY SCORE MATCHING
Caliendo, M., & Kopeinig, S. (2008) · Journal of Economic Surveys · doi:10.1111/j.1467-6419.2007.00527.x · Cited by 6,238 · see citing works
Matching as Nonparametric Preprocessing for Reducing Model Dependence in Parametric Causal Inference
Ho, D. E., Imai, K., King, G., & Stuart, E. (2007) · Political Analysis · doi:10.1093/pan/mpl013 · Cited by 4,411 · see citing works
Mechanisms Linking Social Ties and Support to Physical and Mental Health
Thoits, P. A. (2011) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/0022146510395592 · Cited by 4,076 · see citing works
Efficient Estimation of Average Treatment Effects Using the Estimated Propensity Score
Hirano, K., Imbens, G. W., & Ridder, G. (2003) · Econometrica · doi:10.1111/1468-0262.00442 · Cited by 2,525 · see citing works
Psychological empowerment: Issues and illustrations
Zimmerman, M. A. (1995) · American Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1007/bf02506983 · Cited by 2,317 · see citing works
Unequal democracy: the political economy of the new gilded age
(2008) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.46-1746 · Cited by 2,314 · see citing works
The role of the propensity score in estimating dose-response functions
Imbens, G. W. (2000) · Biometrika · doi:10.1093/biomet/87.3.706 · Cited by 1,747 · see citing works
Adolescent Brain Development: A Period of Vulnerabilities and Opportunities. Keynote Address
DAHL, R. E. (2004) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1196/annals.1308.001 · Cited by 1,667 · see citing works
Socioeconomic Status and Health: What We Know and What We Don't
ADLER, N. E., & OSTROVE, J. M. (1999) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1999.tb08101.x · Cited by 1,643 · see citing works
Matching using estimated propensity scores: relating theory to practice.
Rubin, D., & Thomas, N. (1996) · Biometrics · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511810725.024 · Cited by 1,445 · see citing works
Critical consciousness: Current status and future directions
Watts, R. J., Diemer, M. A., & Voight, A. M. (2011) · New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development · doi:10.1002/cd.310 · Cited by 808 · see citing works
Civic Engagement and the Transition to Adulthood
Flanagan, C., & Levine, P. (2010) · The Future of Children · doi:10.1353/foc.0.0043 · Cited by 731 · see citing works
Whatever Happened to the Jock, the Brain, and the Princess?
Barber, B. L., Eccles, J. S., & Stone, M. R. (2001) · Journal of Adolescent Research · doi:10.1177/0743558401165002 · Cited by 697 · see citing works
Adolescent risk taking, impulsivity, and brain development: Implications for prevention
Romer, D. (2010) · Developmental Psychobiology · doi:10.1002/dev.20442 · Cited by 691 · see citing works
Handbook of social and clinical psychology: the health perspective
(1991) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.28-6501 · Cited by 660 · see citing works
Social Capital, Social Networks, and Political Participation
Lake, R. L. D., & Huckfeldt, R. (1998) · Political Psychology · doi:10.1111/0162-895x.00118 · Cited by 653 · see citing works
Methods matter improving causal inference in educational and social science research
Murnane, R. J., & Willett, J. B. (2011) · Cited by 620 · see citing works
From assets to agents of change: Social justice, organizing, and youth development
Ginwright, S. A., & James, T. (2002) · New Directions for Youth Development · doi:10.1002/yd.25 · Cited by 548 · see citing works
High School Community Service as a Predictor of Adult Voting and Volunteering
Hart, D. A., Donnelly, T. M., Youniss, J., & Atkins, R. (2007) · American Educational Research Journal · doi:10.3102/0002831206298173 · Cited by 403 · see citing works
Anderson, N. D., The BRAVO Team, Damianakis, T., Kröger, E., Wagner, L. M., Dawson, D. R., Binns, M. A., Bernstein, S., Caspi, E., & Cook, S. L. (2014) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0037610 · Cited by 391 · see citing works
Robbins, R. N., & Bryan, A. D. (2004) · Journal of Adolescent Research · doi:10.1177/0743558403258860 · Cited by 385 · see citing works
Critical Consciousness Development and Political Participation Among Marginalized Youth
Diemer, M. A., & Li, C.-H. (2011) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01650.x · Cited by 353 · see citing works
The Limits of Political Efficacy: Educating Citizens for a Democratic Society
Kahne, J. E., & Westheimer, J. (2006) · PS Political Science & Politics · doi:10.1017/s1049096506060471 · Cited by 286 · see citing works
Hoyt, L. T., Chase-Lansdale, P. L., McDade, T. W., & Adam, E. K. (2011) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.05.002 · Cited by 283 · see citing works
Self-citationMotives for volunteering are associated with mortality risk in older adults.
Konrath, S., Fuhrel-Forbis, A., Lou, A., & Brown, S. (2012) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0025226 · Cited by 268 · see citing works
Participatory Action Research (PAR) in Middle School: Opportunities, Constraints, and Key Processes
Ozer, E. J., Weintraub, M. R., & Wanis, M. G. (2010) · American Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10464-010-9335-8 · Cited by 261 · see citing works
Jarrett, R. L., Sullivan, P. J., & Watkins, N. D. (2004) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.20038 · Cited by 259 · see citing works
Christens, B. D., & Peterson, N. A. (2011) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-011-9724-9 · Cited by 254 · see citing works
American Democracy in an Age of Rising Inequality
American Political Science Association Task Force (2004) · Perspectives on Politics · doi:10.1017/s153759270404040x · Cited by 251 · see citing works
The Civic Empowerment Gap: Defining the Problem and Locating Solutions
Levinson, M. (2010) · Handbook of Research on Civic Engagement in Youth · doi:10.1002/9780470767603.ch13 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
Causal inference and developmental psychology.
Foster, E. M. (2010) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0020204 · Cited by 228 · see citing works
Handbook of youth and young adulthood: new perspectives and agendas
Nico, M. (2010) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.47-3236 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
From Adolescent Connections to Social Capital: Predictors of Civic Engagement in Young Adulthood
Duke, N. N., Skay, C. L., Pettingell, S. L., & Borowsky, I. W. (2008) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.07.007 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
Hope, E. C., & Spencer, M. B. (2017) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-43645-6_25 · Cited by 173 · see citing works
Giving to Others and the Association Between Stress and Mortality
Poulin, M. J., Brown, S. L., Dillard, A. J., & Smith, D. M. (2013) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2012.300876 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Schreier, H. M. C., Schonert-Reichl, K. A., & Chen, E. (2013) · JAMA Pediatrics · doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.1100 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Socioeconomic inequality in voting participation and self-rated health
Blakely, T. A., Kennedy, B. P., & Kawachi, I. I. (2001) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.91.1.99 · Cited by 168 · see citing works
Preventing youth violence through the promotion of community engagement and membership
Zeldin, S. (2004) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.20023 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
Christens, B. D. (2012) · Community Development Journal · doi:10.1093/cdj/bss031 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
The Resilience handbook: approaches to stress and trauma
(2014) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.51-5313 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Developmental Antecedents of Young Adult Civic Engagement
Obradović, J., & Masten, A. S. (2007) · Applied Developmental Science · doi:10.1080/10888690709336720 · Cited by 158 · see citing works
Adolescents’ expectations for the future predict health behaviors in early adulthood
McDade, T. W., Chyu, L., Duncan, G. J., Hoyt, L. T., Doane, L. D., & Adam, E. K. (2011) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.06.005 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Self-citationCivic Purpose: An Integrated Construct for Understanding Civic Development in Adolescence
Malin, H., Ballard, P. J., & Damon, W. (2015) · Human Development · doi:10.1159/000381655 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Self-citationZeldin, S., Larson, R. W., Camino, L. A., & O'Connor, C. (2004) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.20042 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Pathways to Occupational Attainment Among Poor Youth of Color
Diemer, M. A. (2008) · The Counseling Psychologist · doi:10.1177/0011000007309858 · Cited by 126 · see citing works
Life Satisfaction and Political Participation: Evidence from the United States
Flavin, P., & Keane, M. J. (2011) · Journal of Happiness Studies · doi:10.1007/s10902-011-9250-1 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
South Florida's Immigrant Youth and Civic Engagement: Major Engagement: Minor Differences
Stepick, A., Stepick, C. D., & Labissiere, Y. (2008) · Applied Developmental Science · doi:10.1080/10888690801997036 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Long-term consequences of youth volunteering: Voluntary versus involuntary service
Kim, J., & Morgül, K. (2017) · Social Science Research · doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2017.05.002 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Bassok, D. (2010) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01513.x · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Increases in maternal education and low-income children’s cognitive and behavioral outcomes.
Harding, J. F. (2015) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0038920 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Zaff, J. F., Kawashima‐Ginsberg, K., Lin, E. S., Lamb, M. E., Balsano, A. B., & Lerner, R. M. (2011) · Journal of Adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.adolescence.2011.07.005 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Denny, K. J., & Doyle, O. (2007) · European Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckm002 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Unequal Democracy: The Political Economy of the New Gilded Age
Pollin, R. (2010) · ScholarWorks@UMassAmherst (University of Massachusetts Amherst) · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Engaging youth in communities: a framework for promoting adolescent and community health
Ballard, P. J., & Syme, S. L. (2015) · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech-2015-206110 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Self-citationvan Goethem, A. A. J., van Hoof, A., de Castro, B. O., van Aken, M. A. G., & Hart, D. A. (2014) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/cdev.12274 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Ballard, P. J., Cohen, A. K., & Littenberg‐Tobias, J. (2016) · American Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/ajcp.12103 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Service/Politics Split: Rethinking Service to Teach Political Engagement
Walker, T. (2000) · PS Political Science & Politics · doi:10.2307/420873 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Adam, E. K., Chyu, L., Hoyt, L. T., Doane, L. D., Boisjoly, J., Duncan, G. J., Chase-Lansdale, P. L., & McDade, T. W. (2011) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.12.012 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Self-citationMotivations for Civic Participation Among Diverse Youth: More Similarities than Differences
Ballard, P. J., Malin, H., Porter, T., Colby, A., & Damon, W. (2015) · Research in Human Development · doi:10.1080/15427609.2015.1010348 · Cited by 72 · see citing works
Self-citationWills, T. A. (1994) · Psychology of Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1037/0893-164x.8.4.223 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
Stanton, S. J., LaBar, K. S., Saini, E. K., Kuhn, C. M., & Beehner, J. C. (2009) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.10.018 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
What Motivates Youth Civic Involvement?
Ballard, P. J. (2014) · Journal of Adolescent Research · doi:10.1177/0743558413520224 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Self-citationEngaging Young People in Civic Life
(2009) · Vanderbilt University Press eBooks · doi:10.2307/j.ctv16f6dbw · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Boehnke, K., & Wong, B. (2011) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167210397553 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Youth Organizers as Young Adults: Their Commitments and Contributions
Conner, J. O. (2011) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/j.1532-7795.2011.00766.x · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Poulin, M. J., & Holman, E. A. (2013) · Hormones and Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.01.004 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Immigrant Civic Engagement: New Translations
Jensen, L. A., & Flanagan, C. A. (2008) · Applied Developmental Science · doi:10.1080/10888690801996996 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Leadership competence and political control: The influential factors
Itzhaky, H., & York, A. S. (2003) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.10054 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
When endocrinology and democracy collide: Emotions, cortisol and voting at national elections
Waismel-Manor, I., Ifergane, G., & Cohen, H. (2011) · European Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2011.03.003 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Rudolph, K. E., Wand Gary, S., Stuart, E. A., Glass, T. A., Marques, A. H., Dunčko, R., & Merikangas, K. R. (2013) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.11.001 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Social Relationships and Obesity: Benefits of Incorporating a Lifecourse Perspective
Pachucki, M. C., & Goodman, E. (2015) · Current Obesity Reports · doi:10.1007/s13679-015-0145-z · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Self-citationImmigrant Youth in the United States: Coming of Age among Diverse Civic Cultures
Jensen, L. A. (2010) · doi:10.1002/9780470767603.ch16 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Wray‐Lake, L., & Sloper, M. (2015) · Applied Developmental Science · doi:10.1080/10888691.2015.1114888 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Ehrlich, K. B., Hoyt, L. T., Sumner, J. A., McDade, T. W., & Adam, E. K. (2015) · Health Psychology · doi:10.1037/hea0000213 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Self-citationHigh Schools, Civics, and Citizenship: What Social Studies Teachers Think and Do.
Farkas, S., & Duffett, A. (2010) · American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Hershberg, R. M., Johnson, S. K., DeSouza, L. M., Hunter, C. J., & Zaff, J. F. (2015) · Advancing responsible adolescent development · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-17166-1_11 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
The Service/Politics Split: Rethinking Service to Teach Political Engagement
Walker, T. (2000) · PS Political Science & Politics · doi:10.1017/s1049096500061710 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Lerner, R. M., Johnson, S. K., Jun, W., Ferris, K. A., & Hershberg, R. M. (2015) · Research in Human Development · doi:10.1080/15427609.2015.1013759 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Exposure to Social Media Racial Discrimination and Mental Health among Adolescents of Color
Tao, X., & Fisher, C. B. (2021) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-021-01514-z · Cited by 167 · see citing works
The views of teachers in England on an action-oriented climate change curriculum
Howard‐Jones, P. A., Sands, D., Dillon, J. S., & Fenton-Jones, F. (2021) · Environmental Education Research · doi:10.1080/13504622.2021.1937576 · Cited by 148 · see citing works
Napolitano, C. M., Sewell, M. N., Yoon, H. R., Soto, C. J., & Roberts, B. W. (2021) · Frontiers in Education · doi:10.3389/feduc.2021.679561 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Critical Consciousness and Wellbeing in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review
Maker Castro, E., Wray-Lake, L., & Cohen, A. K. (2022) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-022-00188-3 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
A systematic mixed studies review of civic engagement outcomes in environmental education
Ardoin, N. M., Bowers, A. W., & Gaillard, E. (2022) · Environmental Education Research · doi:10.1080/13504622.2022.2135688 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
The Effects of Climate Change on Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Clinical Considerations
van Nieuwenhuizen, A., Hudson, K. E., Chen, X., & Hwong, A. R. (2021) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-021-01296-y · Cited by 109 · see citing works
The Mental Health Effects of Student Activism: Persisting Despite Psychological Costs
Conner, J. O., Crawford, E., & Galioto, M. (2023) · Journal of Adolescent Research · doi:10.1177/07435584211006789 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Critical consciousness in late adolescence: Understanding if, how, and why youth act
Tyler, C. P., Olsen, S. G., Geldhof, G. J., & Bowers, E. P. (2020) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101165 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Voting, health and interventions in healthcare settings: a scoping review
Brown, C., Raza, D., & Pinto, A. D. (2020) · Public health reviews · doi:10.1186/s40985-020-00133-6 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Rise Up: Understanding Youth Social Entrepreneurs and Their Ecosystems
Bublitz, M. G., Chaplin, L. N., Peracchio, L. A., Cermin, A. D., Dida, M., Escalas, J. E., Eilert, M., Gloukhovtsev, A., & Miller, E. G. (2020) · Journal of Public Policy & Marketing · doi:10.1177/0743915620937702 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Political engagement and wellbeing among college students
Ballard, P. J., Ni, X., & Brocato, N. (2020) · Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2020.101209 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Self-citationMann, A., Denis, V., & Percy, C. (2020) · OECD education working papers · doi:10.1787/e1503534-en · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Fenn, N., Sacco, A., Monahan, K., Robbins, M., & Pearson-Merkowitz, S. (2024) · Journal of Youth Studies · doi:10.1080/13676261.2022.2156779 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Critical Hopefulness Among Urban High School Students
Christens, B. D., Byrd, K. L., Peterson, N. A., & Lardier, D. T. (2018) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0889-3 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Understanding the Role of Prosocial Behavior in Youth Mental Health: Findings from a Scoping Review
Hirani, S. S., Ojukwu, E. N., & Bandara, N. A. (2022) · Adolescents · doi:10.3390/adolescents2030028 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Indicators of teenage career readiness
Covacevich, C., Mann, A., Santos, C., & Champaud, J. (2021) · OECD education working papers · doi:10.1787/cec854f8-en · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Longitudinal associations between domains of flourishing
Chen, Y., Węziak‐Białowolska, D., Lee, M. T., Białowolski, P., McNeely, E., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06626-5 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Civic Engagement and Well-Being: Examining a Mediational Model Across Gender
Fenn, N., Robbins, M. L., Harlow, L., & Pearson-Merkowitz, S. (2021) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/08901171211001242 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“The current findings are consistent with previous literature regarding individuals from lower SES communities engaging less than those from higher SES communities.(10,47) However, for those who did choose to engage, the relationship between engagement and well-being appeared to be a positive one when meaning in life a…”
ResultIntegrating social and environmental justice into the chemistry classroom: a chemist’s toolbox
Lasker, G. A., & Brush, E. J. (2019) · Green Chemistry Letters and Reviews · doi:10.1080/17518253.2019.1609602 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Debate: Promoting capabilities for young people's agency in the COVID‐19 outbreak
Pavarini, G., Lyreskog, D. M., Manku, K., Musesengwa, R., & Singh, I. (2020) · Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.1111/camh.12409 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Gill, A., Trask-Kerr, K. M., & Vella‐Brodrick, D. (2021) · Educational Psychology Review · doi:10.1007/s10648-021-09605-w · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Hope, E. C., Volpe, V. V., Briggs, A. S., & Benson, G. P. (2022) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/cdev.13744 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Volunteering, Charitable Donation, and Psychological Well-Being of College Students in China
Geng, Y., Chen, Y., Huang, C., Tan, Y., Zhang, C., & Zhu, S. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.790528 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Wray‐Lake, L., Wilf, S. B., Kwan, J. Y., & Oosterhoff, B. J. (2022) · Youth · doi:10.3390/youth2010007 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Tao, X., & Fisher, C. (2023) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/46604 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
The economic benefits of volunteering and social class
Wilson, J., Mantovan, N., & Sauer, R. M. (2019) · Social Science Research · doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2019.102368 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Election-related sociopolitical stress and coping among college students in the United States
Ballard, P. J., Hoyt, L. T., Yazdani, N., Kornbluh, M., Cohen, A. K., Davis, A. L., & Hagan, M. J. (2022) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2022.2117556 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Role of Empowerment-Based Protective Factors on Substance Use Among Youth of Color
Lardier, D. T., Opara, I., Reid, R. J., & Garcia‐Reid, P. (2020) · Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal · doi:10.1007/s10560-020-00659-3 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Sewell, M. N., Napolitano, C. M., Roberts, B. W., Soto, C. J., & Yoon, H. R. (2023) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/jora.12830 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Civic Engagement to Empower Young People to Impact Health and Well-Being
Korich, F., & Fields, E. L. (2023) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.2022-057267h · Cited by 26 · see citing works
The Effect of Civic Engagement on Different Dimensions of Well-Being in Youth: A Scoping Review
Mužík, M., Šerek, J., & Juhová, D. S. (2025) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-024-00239-x · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“While both were positively asso - ciated with emotional well-being and better mental health (Ballard et al., 2019 ; Weitz-Shapiro & Winters, 2011), other conventional activities were also positively related to psy - chological well-being (Klar & Kasser, 2009 ).”
InfluentialYu, Y., Zhao, F., Sun, S., Xiong, J., & Zheng, G. (2022) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.965544 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Silke, C., Brady, B., Boylan, C., & Dolan, P. (2020) · The Journal of Early Adolescence · doi:10.1177/0272431620977658 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Resentment Is Like Drinking Poison? The Heterogeneous Health Effects of Affective Polarization
Nelson, M. H. (2022) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/00221465221075311 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Volunteering among Chinese College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Geng, Y., Cheung, S., Huang, C., & Liao, J. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19095154 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Daily Links Between Helping Behaviors and Emotional Well‐Being During Late Adolescence
Armstrong‐Carter, E., Moreira, J. F. G., Ivory, S. L., & Telzer, E. H. (2020) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/jora.12572 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
The Election Is Over, Now What? Youth Civic Engagement as a Path to Critical Consciousness
Miller, K., Shramko, M., Brown, C. R., & Svetaz, M. V. (2021) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.10.033 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Volunteering, Health, and Well-being of Children and Adolescents in the United States
Lanza, K., Hunt, E. T., Mantey, D. S., Omega‐Njemnobi, O., Cristol, B. A., & Kelder, S. H. (2023) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.15980 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Social values and civic behaviour among youth in Ireland: The influence of social contexts
Silke, C., Brady, B., Dolan, P., & Boylan, C. (2019) · Irish Journal of Sociology · doi:10.1177/0791603519863295 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Understanding the costs and benefits of politics among adolescents within a sociocultural context
Oosterhoff, B., Poppler, A., Hill, R. M., Fitzgerald, H., & Shook, N. J. (2022) · Infant and Child Development · doi:10.1002/icd.2280 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Murphy, L., Jack, H. E., Concepcion, T. L., & Collins, P. Y. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00044 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Sagiv, I. B., Goldner, L., & Carmel, Y. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19169862 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Healthy citizens, healthy democracies? A review of the literature
Gidengil, E., & Wass, H. (2023) · International Political Science Review · doi:10.1177/01925121231163548 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Taylor-Collins, E., Harrison, T., Thoma, S. J., & Moller, F. (2018) · VOLUNTAS International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations · doi:10.1007/s11266-018-00070-8 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Sagiv, I. B., Goldner, L., & Carmel, Y. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.955777 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“After the School Day, What’s Next?”: Exploring Refugee Youths’ Engagement in After-School Programs
Cureton, A. (2022) · Journal of Adolescent Research · doi:10.1177/07435584221144952 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
The Role of Primary Care in Advancing Civic Engagement and Health Equity: A Conceptual Framework
HABIB, D. R. S., Klein, L. M., Perrin, E. M., Perrin, A. J., & Johnson, S. B. (2023) · Milbank Quarterly · doi:10.1111/1468-0009.12661 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Historical Trends in Concerns About Social Issues Across Four Decades Among U.S. Adolescents
Oosterhoff, B. J., Wray‐Lake, L., Palmer, C. A., & Kaplow, J. B. (2019) · Journal of Research on Adolescence · doi:10.1111/jora.12493 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Nelson, C., Sloan, J., & Chandra, A. (2019) · RAND Corporation eBooks · doi:10.7249/rr3163 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Temporal associations between character strengths and civic action: A daily diary study
Oosterhoff, B. J., Whillock, S. R., Tintzman, C., & Poppler, A. (2021) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2021.1940247 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
The role of social capital in resilience among adolescents with adverse family environments
Rava, J. A., Hotez, E., & Halfon, N. (2023) · Current problems in pediatric and adolescent health care · doi:10.1016/j.cppeds.2023.101436 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Can a school-based civic empowerment intervention support adolescent health?
Ballard, P. J., Cohen, A. K., & Duarte, C. (2019) · Preventive Medicine Reports · doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100968 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citationRisky Politics? Associations Between Adolescent Risk Preference and Political Engagement
Oosterhoff, B. J., & Wray‐Lake, L. (2019) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/cdev.13313 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Ballard, P. J., Daniel, S. S., Anderson, G. E., Nicolotti, L. M., Quiñones, E. C., Lee, M., & Koehler, A. N. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.642910 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citationCivic engagement and well‐being among noncollege young adults: Investigating a mediation model
Fenn, N., Yang, M., Pearson‐Merkowitz, S., & Robbins, M. (2023) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.23033 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Civic engagement: an antidote to desperation?
Carney, M. M., Adams, D., Mendenhall, A. N., & Ohmer, M. L. (2023) · Journal of Community Practice · doi:10.1080/10705422.2023.2224470 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Civic Competence as a Social Service Dimension: Context of a Local Community in the Philippines
Castillo, L. F. (2023) · Journal of Social Service Research · doi:10.1080/01488376.2023.2232826 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Gillespie, S., Morency, M. M., Fajemirokun, E., & Ferguson, G. M. (2025) · Child Development · doi:10.1111/cdev.14219 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Oosterhoff, B. J., Hill, R. M., & Slonaker, N. J. (2020) · Applied Developmental Science · doi:10.1080/10888691.2020.1787169 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Yan, W., & Ren, L. E. I. (2021) · Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala · doi:10.33788/rcis.72.11 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Speer, P. W., Christens, B. D., & Peterson, N. A. (2021) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.22578 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Civic Identity in Emerging Adulthood
Lep, Ž., & Zupančič, M. (2022) · European Journal of Psychological Assessment · doi:10.1027/1015-5759/a000696 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Harris, K. M., & Halpern, C. T. (2022) · Annual Review of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-devpsych-120920-042217 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Civic engagement and mental health trajectories in Norwegian youth
Wiium, N., Kristensen, S. M., Årdal, E., Bøe, T., Gaspar de Matos, M., Karhina, K., Larsen, T. M. B., Urke, H. B., & Wold, B. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1214141 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Volunteering and psychological wellbeing in college students in China
Geng, Y., Huang, C., Deng, G., Cheung, S., & Liao, J. (2022) · Asian Social Work and Policy Review · doi:10.1111/aswp.12258 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Cadano, M. J. O. (2023) · International Journal of Research Publications · doi:10.47119/ijrp1001231420234683 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Volunteering in Young Adulthood: Complex Associations With Later Health and Well-Being Outcomes
Nakamura, J. S., Wilkinson, R., Nelson, M. A., Suzuki, E., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2024) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/08901171241273424 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Cureton, A., & Aguinaldo, E. R. (2023) · Youth & Society · doi:10.1177/0044118x231199125 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Long-term Impacts of Civic Engagement during Emerging Adulthood: A Nationally-representative Study
Thompson, M. P., Hudson-Flege, M. D., & Hancock, K. (2024) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/08901171241227298 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Racism and Mental Health: The Moderating Role of Critical Consciousness for Black Adolescents
Hope, E. C., Golden, A. R., & Anyiwo, N. (2024) · Youth · doi:10.3390/youth4020044 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Ng, T. Y., Ng, T. K., & Siu, O. L. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-05960-8 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Voter Registration and Engagement in an Adolescent and Young Adult Primary Care Clinic
Lickiss, S., Lowery, L., & Triemstra, J. D. (2020) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.11.316 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Chaku, N., Hoyt, L. T., & Barry, K. R. (2021) · Cognitive Development · doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2021.101119 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Self-citationWu, J. (2022) · Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing · doi:10.1155/2022/5378694 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
RetractedDesmond, C., Watt, K., Naicker, S. N., Behrman, J. R., & Richter, L. (2023) · Development Policy Review · doi:10.1111/dpr.12738 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Beattie, H. M., FitzGerald, C. A., Koller, S. N., Scott, K. S., Garnett, B. R., & Holmes, B. W. (2021) · Health Promotion Practice · doi:10.1177/15248399211048461 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Zhang, H., Zhang, Q., Huang, G., Ke, J., Zhao, N., Huang, W., & Zhang, J. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph192215084 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Mental health and wellbeing outcomes of youth participation: A scoping review protocol
Bower, M., Donohoe‐Bales, A., Nguyen, A. Q. H., Smout, S., Boyle, J., Barrett, E. L., Partridge, S. R., Mandoh, M., Simmons, M. B., Valanju, R., et al. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0293006 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Brown, A. M., Zeiders, K. H., Sarsar, E. D., Hoyt, L. T., & Nair, R. L. (2023) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2022.2145896 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationHindmarch, G., Meza, J. I., Shimkhada, R., Padilla-Frausto, D. I., & Eisenberg, D. (2025) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.02.019 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Cohen, A. K., Fitzgerald, J. C., Ridley-Kerr, A., Castro, E. M., & Ballard, P. J. (2021) · The Clearing House A Journal of Educational Strategies Issues and Ideas · doi:10.1080/00098655.2021.1927942 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationChanges in flourishing from adolescence to young adulthood: An 8‐year follow‐up
Palmer, A. N., Patel, M., Narendorf, S. C., Sledge, S. L., & Sanchez, K. (2022) · Child & Family Social Work · doi:10.1111/cfs.12953 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Ballard, P. J., Muscatell, K. A., Hoyt, L. T., Flores, A. J., & Mendes, W. B. (2020) · Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly · doi:10.1177/0899764020933360 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Self-citationExploring citizen perceptions and values for a responsible society
Zelenkovski, K., Prodanova, J., & Kocarev, L. (2024) · Social Science Quarterly · doi:10.1111/ssqu.13353 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Naming civic health in environmental justice discourse: The Jackson water crisis
Nwanaji‐Enwerem, J. C., & Casey, J. A. (2022) · The Lancet Regional Health - Americas · doi:10.1016/j.lana.2022.100378 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Pathways to community leadership: Transitions, turning points, and generational continuity
Morgan, K. Y., Anderson, K. M., & Christens, B. D. (2022) · Applied Developmental Science · doi:10.1080/10888691.2022.2154211 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Does Civic Engagement Support Relational and Mental Health of Urban Population?
Hrivnák, M., Moritz, P., Melichová, K., & Bellérová, S. (2023) · Societies · doi:10.3390/soc13020046 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
A National Voter Registration Campaign
Jean, A., Ha, Y. P., Ruxin, T. R., Moore, Z. R., Grade, M. M., Stewart, A. M., Murray, A. L., & Martin, A. (2023) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.2022-059501 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Donohoe‐Bales, A., Teesson, L., Smout, S., Harding, S., Partridge, S. R., Simmons, M. B., Mandoh, M., Barrett, E. L., Guo, K., Meas, D., et al. (2025) · Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.1111/camh.70027 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Clark, L. S., Jiménez, C., & Ramirez, J. C. (2023) · Mobile Media & Communication · doi:10.1177/20501579231208006 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Sánchez-García, L., López, M. D., Sánchez‐Queija, I., Elgarresta, I. L., & Jiménez, Á. P. (2024) · SAGE Open · doi:10.1177/21582440241293678 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Anggraeni, L., Siti Nurbayani, K., Ryadi, N. F., Asyahidda, F. N., Azis, A. M., Putra, T. F., Irawan, H., & Firdaus, P. (2025) · IJORER International Journal of Recent Educational Research · doi:10.46245/ijorer.v6i2.789 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Pavlova, M. K., Lühr, M., & Luhmann, M. (2018) · Drug and Alcohol Dependence · doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.10.013 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Supporting patients to shape social determinants of health through democratic engagement.
Raza, D., Brown, C., & Pinto, A. D. (2020) · PubMed Central · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Does Activism Mean Being Active? Considering the Health Correlates of Activist Purpose
Hill, P. L., Rule, P. D., & Wilson, M. E. (2023) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci12080425 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Cureton, A. (2023) · Children & Schools · doi:10.1093/cs/cdad031 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Silke, C., Brady, B., Dolan, P., & Boylan, C. (2024) · Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/jcop.23106 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Does youth civic engagement enhance social and academic performance?
Fernandes, A., Proença, T., Ferreira, M. R., & Paço, A. M. F. D. (2021) · International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing · doi:10.1007/s12208-020-00272-1 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Mental health and non-communicable diseases: a narrative review
Gray, N. J., & Klein, J. D. (2021) · Pediatric Medicine · doi:10.21037/pm-20-84 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
We’re on the Rise: How Social Movements Support Youth Well-Being
Bublitz, M. G., Escalas, J. E., Lteif, L., Nardini, G., Peracchio, L. A., Rank‐Christman, T., & Woodrow, S. (2023) · Journal of the Association for Consumer Research · doi:10.1086/728645 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
- Authors
- Ballard, P. J., Hoyt, L. T., & Pachucki, M. C.
- Affiliations
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences (US)
- Fordham University (US)
- University of Massachusetts
- Corresponding author
- Ballard, Parissa J
- Venue
- Child Development
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2019-07-01
- Volume
- 90
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 1138-1154
- ISSN
- 0009-3920 (ISSN-L)
- 1467-8624
- OpenAlex
- W2791740075
- Cited by
- 204
- References
- 80
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 26 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 4
- FWCI
- 31.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Child Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Maternal and Child Health Bureau
- Health Resources and Services Administration
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (UA6MC27378)
- Adolescent and Young Adult Health Research Network
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P01-HD31921, P01‐HD31921)
- 23 other federal agencies and foundations
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Social Sciences › Education › Service-Learning and Community Engagement
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- citizen participation, voting, volunteering, activism, socioeconomic status, income, educational attainment, mental health, physical health, health risk behaviors, health behavior, adolescence, early adulthood, Add Health
- MeSH terms
- Health Risk Behaviors, Political Activism, Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Educational Status, Female, Health Status, Humans, Income, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mental Health, Politics, Social Class, United States, Volunteers, Young Adult, Propensity Score
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review