The DOI matches its Crossref record; 74 of the 75 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; none of the 106 sources its claims cite is checked for support yet.
Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers
Open accessAbstract
Background: Volunteering has been advocated by the United Nations, and American and European governments as a way to engage people in their local communities and improve social capital, with the potential for public health benefits such as improving wellbeing and decreasing health inequalities. Furthermore, the US Corporation for National and Community Service Strategic Plan for 2011–2015 focused on increasing the impact of national service on community needs, supporting volunteers’ wellbeing, and prioritising recruitment and engagement of underrepresented populations. The aims of this review were to examine the effect of formal volunteering on volunteers’ physical and mental health and survival, and to explore the influence of volunteering type and intensity on health outcomes. Methods: Experimental and cohort studies comparing the physical and mental health outcomes and mortality of a volunteering group to a non-volunteering group were identified from twelve electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, HMIC, SSCI, ASSIA, Social Care Online, Social Policy and Practice) and citation tracking in January 2013. No language, country or date restrictions were applied. Data synthesis was based on vote counting and random effects meta-analysis of mortality risk ratios. Results: Forty papers were selected: five randomised controlled trials (RCTs, seven papers); four non-RCTs; and 17 cohort studies (29 papers). Cohort studies showed volunteering had favourable effects on depression, life satisfaction, wellbeing but not on physical health. These findings were not confirmed by experimental studies. Meta-analysis of five cohort studies found volunteers to be at lower risk of mortality (risk ratio: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.90). There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate a consistent influence of volunteering type or intensity on outcomes. Conclusion: Observational evidence suggested that volunteering may benefit mental health and survival although the causal mechanisms remain unclear. Consequently, there was limited robustly designed research to guide the development of volunteering as a public health promotion intervention. Future studies should explicitly map intervention design to clear health outcomes as well as use pragmatic RCT methodology to test effects.
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TL;DR
This systematic review and meta-analysis found observational evidence that formal volunteering may improve mental health and reduce mortality, but experimental evidence did not confirm consistent health benefits. The authors conclude there is limited robust evidence to guide volunteering as a public health intervention.
Key findings
- Forty papers were included: 5 RCTs (7 papers), 4 non-RCTs, and 17 cohort studies (29 papers). Cohort studies showed favourable effects on depression, life satisfaction, and wellbeing, but not on physical health; these findings were not confirmed by experimental studies.
- Meta-analysis of five cohort studies found volunteers had a lower risk of mortality (risk ratio: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.90; I² test: p = 0.65), corresponding to a 22% reduction (CI: 10% to 34%).
- Vote counting found no consistent significant health benefits in experimental studies; only single trials reported significant associations with increased physical activity, strength, walking speed, empowerment, wellbeing, and decreased stress.
- There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate a consistent influence of volunteering type or intensity on outcomes.
Methods
- Systematic review and meta-analysis following a pre-defined protocol and PRISMA; searches in January 2013 across twelve electronic databases plus citation tracking, with no language, country, or date restrictions.
- Included experimental and cohort studies comparing physical and/or mental health outcomes and mortality in volunteers versus non-volunteers, adults aged 16 years and above; formal volunteering had to be regular and long-term, defined as a minimum of one hour a month on at least two occasions.
- Data synthesis used vote counting for most outcomes and random-effects meta-analysis of mortality risk ratios; quality was appraised with the Cochrane risk of bias tool for RCTs and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort/non-RCT studies.
Limitations
- The paper states that meta-analysis was possible only for survival data; other physical and mental health outcomes were restricted to vote counting due to heterogeneous interventions and study methods.
- The paper states that generalisability is limited because most studies were based in the USA, involved community-dwelling people aged 50 years or over, and many non-USA studies reported cross-sectional data that were excluded.
- The paper states that causal mechanisms remain unclear, selection effects and reverse causality cannot be conclusively ruled out, many cohort studies failed to fully describe volunteering status or measurement, and trial evidence was limited by small, likely underpowered samples and attrition.
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Claims the paper makes
38 Not checked yet · 16 Own result · 15 Own method · 14 Own interpretation · 4 No basis given
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“As three RCT papers reported different outcomes collected at the same follow-up from the Experience Corps trial [30,35,58]; a total of five independent RCTs [33,37,54,62] were identified.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Study characteristics
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [33] Cohen A: Welfare clients’ volunteering as a means of empowerment. Nonprofit Volunt Sec Q. 2009, 38: 522-534. 10.1177/0899764008320196. source
- Not checked yetcites [37] George DR, Singer ME: Intergenerational volunteering and quality of life for persons with mild to moderate dementia: results from a 5-month intervention study in the United States. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011, 19: 392-396. 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181f17f20. source
- Not checked yetcites [54] Rook KS, Sorkin DH: Fostering social ties through a volunteer role: Implications for older-adults’ psychological health. Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2003, 57: 313-337. 10.2190/NBBN-EU3H-4Q1N-UXHR. source
- Not checked yetcites [62] Yuen HK, Huang P, Burik JK, Smith TG: Impact of participation in volunteer activities for residents living in long-term-care facilities. Am J Occup Ther. 2008, 62: 71-76. 10.5014/ajot.62.1.71. source
plainn = 4- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There was insufficient evidence to demonstrate a consistent influence of volunteering type or intensity on outcomes.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Abstract > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Cohort studies showed volunteering had favourable effects on depression, life satisfaction, wellbeing but not on physical health.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Abstract > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Cohort studies showed volunteering had favourable effects on depression, life satisfaction, wellbeing but not on physical health.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Abstract > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Cohort studies showed volunteering had favourable effects on depression, life satisfaction, wellbeing but not on physical health.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Abstract > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Three studies reported no association with volunteering [9,44,49].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Impact of volunteering on health outcomes and survival
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [9] Konrath S, Fuhrel-Forbis A, Lou A, Brown S: Motives for volunteering are associated with mortality risk in older adults. Health Psychol. 2012, 31: 87-96. source
- Not checked yetcites [44] Menec VH: The relation between everyday activities and successful aging: a 6 year longitudinal study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2003, 58B: S74-S82. source
- Not checked yetcites [49] Okun MA, August KJ, Rook KS, Newsom JT: Does volunteering moderate the relation between functional limitations and mortality?. Soc Sci Med. 2010, 71: 1662-1668. 10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.07.034. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Four [28,43,60,63] of the five cohorts [28,43,44,60,63] that assessed life satisfaction reported benefit (3–25 year follow-ups).”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Impact of volunteering on health outcomes and survival
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [28] Bowman N, Brandenberger J, Lapsley D, Hill P, Quaranto J: Serving in college, flourishing in adulthood: does community engagement during the college years predict adult well-being?. Appl Psychol Health Wellbeing. 2010, 2: 14-34. 10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01020.x. source
- Not checked yetcites [43] Meier S, Stutzer A: Is volunteering rewarding in itself?. Economica. 2008, 75: 39-59. source
- Not checked yetcites [60] Van Willigen M: Differential benefits of volunteering across the life course. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2000, 55: S308-S318. 10.1093/geronb/55.5.S308. source
- Not checked yetcites [63] Nazroo J, Matthews K: The impact of volunteering on well-being in later life. A report to WRVS. 2012, Cardiff, UK: WRVS
- Not checked yetcites [44] Menec VH: The relation between everyday activities and successful aging: a 6 year longitudinal study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2003, 58B: S74-S82. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“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.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Impact of volunteering on health outcomes and survival
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [26] Ayalon L: Volunteering as a predictor of all-cause mortality: what aspects of volunteering really matter?. Int Psychogeriatr. 2008, 20: 1000-1013.
- Not checked yetcites [38] Harris AHS, Thoresen CE: Volunteering is associated with delayed mortality in older people: analysis of the longitudinal study of aging. J Health Psychol. 2005, 10: 739-752. 10.1177/1359105305057310. source
- Not checked yetcites [47] Musick MA, Herzog A, House JS: Volunteering and mortality among older adults: findings from a national sample. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 1999, 54B: S173-S180. 10.1093/geronb/54B.3.S173. source
- Not checked yetcites [50] Oman D, Thoresen CE, McMahon K: Volunteerism and mortality among the community-dwelling elderly. J Health Psychol. 1999, 4: 301-316. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Four out of five RCTs were at moderate or high risk of bias due to the random sequence generation not being described, high attrition rates, and small sample sizes available for analysis”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Methodological quality
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Cohort studies showed volunteering had favourable effects on depression, life satisfaction, wellbeing but not on physical health.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Abstract > Results
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Probably not a substantial claim. 30
- It may state two separate claims as one. 28
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Eleven papers reported RCTs (n = 7) [30,33,35,37,54,58,62] and non-RCTs (n = 4) [27,29,34,57].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Study characteristics
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [27] Belgrave M: The effect of a music therapy intergenerational program on children and older adults’ intergenerational interactions, cross-age attitudes, and older adults’ psychosocial well-being. J Music Ther. 2011, 48: 486-508. source
- Not checked yetcites [29] Carlson MC, Erickson KI, Kramer AF, Voss MW, Bolea N, Mielke M, McGill S, Rebok GW, Seeman T, Fried LP: Evidence for neurocognitive plasticity in at-risk older adults: the experience corps program. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2009, 64: 1275-1282. source
- Not checked yetcites [34] Dabelko-Schoeny H, Anderson KA, Spinks K: Civic engagement for older adults with functional limitations: piloting an intervention for adult day health participants. Gerontologist. 2010, 50: 694-701. 10.1093/geront/gnq019. source
- Not checked yetcites [57] Tan EJ, Rebok GW, Yu QL, Frangakis CE, Carlson MC, Wang T, Ricks M, Tanner EK, McGill S, Fried LP: The long-term relationship between high-intensity volunteering and physical activity in older African American women. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2009, 64: 304-311. source
plainn = 4- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Forty papers were selected: five randomised controlled trials (RCTs, seven papers); four non-RCTs; and 17 cohort studies (29 papers).”
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
“Forty papers were included in the review [9,25-63].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Abstract > Results
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [9,25-63]
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Twenty-nine papers reported longitudinal analysis of cohort studies; 13 papers reported unique cohorts.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Study characteristics
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Volunteering status was significantly associated with improved wellbeing in three cohorts [25,28,31,51,52] (10–29 year follow-ups) but findings regarding volunteering intensity were inconsistent.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Impact of volunteering on health outcomes and survival
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [25] Son J, Wilson J: Volunteer work and hedonic, eudemonic, and social well-being. Sociological Forum. 2012, 27: 658-681. 10.1111/j.1573-7861.2012.01340.x. source
- Not checked yetcites [28] Bowman N, Brandenberger J, Lapsley D, Hill P, Quaranto J: Serving in college, flourishing in adulthood: does community engagement during the college years predict adult well-being?. Appl Psychol Health Wellbeing. 2010, 2: 14-34. 10.1111/j.1758-0854.2009.01020.x. source
- Not checked yetcites [31] Choi NG, Kim J: The effect of time volunteering and charitable donations in later life on psychological wellbeing. Ageing Soc. 2011, 31: 590-610. 10.1017/S0144686X10001224. source
- Not checked yetcites [51] Piliavin JA: Feeling good by doing good: health consequences of social service. Processes of community change and social action. 2005, Mahwah, New Jersey, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 29-50.
- Not checked yetcites [52] Piliavin JA, Siegl E: Health benefits of volunteering in the Wisconsin longitudinal study. J Health Soc Behav. 2007, 48: 450-464. 10.1177/002214650704800408. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Irrespective of how it was measured, volunteering was associated with reduced levels of depression in four cohorts [32,40-42,46,48,51,63], with two cohorts reporting no benefits [36,53].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Impact of volunteering on health outcomes and survival
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [32] Choi NG, Bohman TM: Predicting the changes in depressive symptomatology in later life: how much do changes in health status, marital and caregiving status, work and volunteering, and health-related behaviors contribute?. J Aging Health. 2007, 19: 152-177. 10.1177/0898264306297602. source
- Not checked yetcites [40] Kim J, Pai M: Volunteering and trajectories of depression. J Aging Health. 2010, 22: 84-105. 10.1177/0898264309351310. source
- Not checked yetcites [41] Li Y, Ferraro KF: Volunteering and depression in later life: social benefit or selection processes?. J Health Soc Behav. 2005, 46: 68-84. 10.1177/002214650504600106. source
- Not checked yetcites [42] Li Y, Ferraro KF: Volunteering in middle and later life: is health a benefit, barrier or both?. Soc Forces. 2006, 85: 497-519. 10.1353/sof.2006.0132. source
- Not checked yetcites [46] Morrow-Howell N, Hinterlong J, Rozario PA, Tang F: Effects of volunteering on the well-being of older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2003, 58: S137-S145. 10.1093/geronb/58.3.S137. source
- Not checked yetcites [48] Musick MA, Wilson J: Volunteering and depression: the role of psychological and social resources in different age groups. Soc Sci Med. 2003, 56: 259-269. 10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00025-4. source
- Not checked yetcites [51] Piliavin JA: Feeling good by doing good: health consequences of social service. Processes of community change and social action. 2005, Mahwah, New Jersey, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 29-50.
- Not checked yetcites [63] Nazroo J, Matthews K: The impact of volunteering on well-being in later life. A report to WRVS. 2012, Cardiff, UK: WRVS
- Not checked yetcites [36] Fujiwara T, Kawachi I: A prospective study of individual-level social capital and major depression in the United States. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2008, 62: 627-633. 10.1136/jech.2007.064261. source
- Not checked yetcites [53] Pillemer K, Fuller-Rowell TE, Reid MC, Wells NM: Environmental volunteering and health outcomes over a 20-year period. Gerontologist. 2010, 50: 594-602. 10.1093/geront/gnq007. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Improved quality of life was associated with volunteering status in two cohorts [56,61,63] (2–5 year follow-ups) but only if the activity was reciprocal, i.e. the volunteer felt their actions to be appreciated [56,63].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Impact of volunteering on health outcomes and survival
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [56] Siegrist J, Wahrendorf M: Participation in socially productive activities and quality of life in early old age: findings from SHARE. J Eur Soc Pol. 2009, 19: 317-326. 10.1177/1350506809341513. source
- Not checked yetcites [61] Wahrendorf M, Siegrist J: Are changes in productive activities of older people associated with changes in their well-being? Results of a longitudinal European study. Eur J Ageing. 2010, 7: 59-68. 10.1007/s10433-010-0154-4. source
- Not checked yetcites [63] Nazroo J, Matthews K: The impact of volunteering on well-being in later life. A report to WRVS. 2012, Cardiff, UK: WRVS
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In contrast, most papers reporting cohort studies (see Additional file 4: Table S4) were large and well designed (25/29 low risk, 4/29 moderate risk).”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Methodological quality
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Quality appraisal of non-RCTs (see Additional file 4: Table S4) found three non-RCTs were at moderate risk of bias, and one non-RCT at low risk.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Methodological quality
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Volunteering was associated with improved self-efficacy for activities of daily living (one year follow-up) [55] but not with ‘happiness’ (25 year follow-up) [44].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Impact of volunteering on health outcomes and survival
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [55] Shimanuki H, Honda H, Ito T, Kasai T, Takato J, Sakamoto Y, Inuzuka G, Ito Y, Arayama N, Ueki S, Haga H: Relationships between volunteerism and social-physical health and QOL with community-dwelling elderly participating in a long-term care prevention programme. [Japanese]. Nippon Koshu Eisei Zasshi. 2007, 54: 749-759.
- Not checked yetcites [44] Menec VH: The relation between everyday activities and successful aging: a 6 year longitudinal study. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2003, 58B: S74-S82. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Heterogeneous findings were observed in the five trials [30,35,37,54,58,62] investigating the health effects of intergenerational volunteering among older adults, with benefits reported for some elements of physical activity and cognitive function.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [30] Carlson MC, Saczynski JS, Rebok GW, Seeman T, Glass TA, McGill S, Tielsch J, Frick KD, Hill J, Fried LP: Exploring the effects of an “everyday” activity program on executive function and memory in older adults: experience corps. Gerontologist. 2008, 48: 793-801. 10.1093/geront/48.6.793. source
- Not checked yetcites [35] Fried LP, Carlson MC, Freedman M, Frick KD, Glass TA, Hill J, McGill S, Rebok GW, Seeman T, Tielsch J, Wasik BA, Zeger S: A social model for health promotion for an aging population: initial evidence on the experience corps model. J Urban Health Bull N Y Acad Med. 2004, 81: 64-78. source
- Not checked yetcites [37] George DR, Singer ME: Intergenerational volunteering and quality of life for persons with mild to moderate dementia: results from a 5-month intervention study in the United States. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2011, 19: 392-396. 10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181f17f20. source
- Not checked yetcites [54] Rook KS, Sorkin DH: Fostering social ties through a volunteer role: Implications for older-adults’ psychological health. Int J Aging Hum Dev. 2003, 57: 313-337. 10.2190/NBBN-EU3H-4Q1N-UXHR. source
- Not checked yetcites [58] Tan EJ, Xue QL, Li T, Carlson MC, Fried LP: Volunteering: a physical activity intervention for older adults - the experience corps program in Baltimore. J Urban Health. 2006, 83: 954-969. 10.1007/s11524-006-9060-7. source
- Not checked yetcites [62] Yuen HK, Huang P, Burik JK, Smith TG: Impact of participation in volunteer activities for residents living in long-term-care facilities. Am J Occup Ther. 2008, 62: 71-76. 10.5014/ajot.62.1.71. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“While such adjustments strongly mediated survival, a significant effect remained.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
boostedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“No significant effects were observed for depression, self-rated health or self-esteem.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For mental health, volunteering had a favourable effect on depression, life satisfaction and wellbeing.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Vote counting failed to identify any consistent beneficial effects of volunteering on either physical functional ability or self-rated health.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“The small number of observational studies that stratified analysis by age found that older people may be more likely to experience reduced functional dependency and fewer depressive symptoms through volunteering compared with their younger counterparts [40,42,48], although one study found no such benefit [45].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [40] Kim J, Pai M: Volunteering and trajectories of depression. J Aging Health. 2010, 22: 84-105. 10.1177/0898264309351310. source
- Not checked yetcites [42] Li Y, Ferraro KF: Volunteering in middle and later life: is health a benefit, barrier or both?. Soc Forces. 2006, 85: 497-519. 10.1353/sof.2006.0132. source
- Not checked yetcites [48] Musick MA, Wilson J: Volunteering and depression: the role of psychological and social resources in different age groups. Soc Sci Med. 2003, 56: 259-269. 10.1016/S0277-9536(02)00025-4. source
- Not checked yetcites [45] Moen P, Dempstermcclain D, Williams RM: Successful aging - a life-course perspective on women’s multiple roles and health. Am J Sociol. 1992, 97: 1612-1638. 10.1086/229941. source
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Reassuringly, the estimates of the prevalence of volunteering from observational studies is consistent with other sources [3,5], which found the prevalence of volunteering is generally higher in the USA compared with European cohorts, and that older people may be less likely to volunteer than their younger counterparts [64].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [3] Bureau of Labor Statistics - US Department of Labor: Volunteering in the United States - 2011. 2012, USA: Department of Labor
- Not checked yetcites [5] Mathou C: Volunteering in the European Union - final report. Educational, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency - Directorate General Education and Culture. 2010, London, UK: GHK
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“For example, it is unclear what type or dose of volunteering activity is associated with the greatest health improvement, for which outcomes and for whom.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Implications for health inequalities, practice and research
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“No language, country or date restrictions were applied.”
- Also stated in: § Search strategy · plain
“Studies were identified without language, country or date restrictions, by searching electronic databases and scanning reference lists.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Abstract > Methods
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Also stated in: § Search strategy · plain
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Observational evidence suggested that volunteering may benefit mental health and survival although the causal mechanisms remain unclear.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Abstract > Conclusion
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“To avoid double counting, where multiple papers from the same population cohort reported the same outcome, only one vote per cohort was counted.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Evidence synthesis
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“The Cochrane risk of bias tool [19] was used to assess the quality of RCTs. Non-representative samples and high loss to follow-up rates were considered major threats to the external validity of community-based studies. Thus, two domains, random sequence generation and incomplete outcome data, were prioritised out of a possible seven domains.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [19] The Cochrane Collaboration: The Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions (version 5.1.0). Edited by: Higgins JPT, Green S. 2011, http://www.cochrane-handbook.org/,
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“One reviewer (CJ) screened all titles and abstracts for eligibility. Uncertainties were checked by a second reviewer (AD) with discrepancies resolved by discussion (CJ, AD and SR). The full text of potentially relevant articles was screened independently by two reviewers (CJ and SR or KJ); discrepancies were resolved by discussion with a third reviewer (SR or KJ).”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“This review followed a pre-defined protocol (http://clahrc-peninsula.nihr.ac.uk/includes/site/files/files/EST%20Docs/PenCLAHRC%20volunteering%20protocol%20(21_02_12).pdf), in accordance with the general principles published by the NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination [17] and PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses) [18].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [17] Centre for Reviews and Dissemination: Systematic reviews. CRD’s guidance for undertaking reviews in health care. 2009, UK: Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Univeristy of York
- Not checked yetcites [18] Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG: Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. Br Med J. 2009, 339: 332-336. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Data were extracted by one reviewer (CJ) and independently checked by a second (KJ or SR) using a standardised, piloted data extraction form.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Given the statistical and methodological heterogeneity of studies, meta-analyses of health outcomes were not possible. Consistent with other published reviews [21,22], a more qualitative ‘vote counting’ [23] approach was undertaken.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Evidence synthesis
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [21] Flodgren G, Eccles MP, Shepperd S, Scott A, Parmelli E, Beyer FR: An overview of reviews evaluating the effectiveness of financial incentives in changing healthcare professional behaviours and patient outcomes. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011, 7: CD009255
- Not checked yetcites [22] Dickens AP, Richards SH, Greaves CJ, Campbell JL: Interventions targeting social isolation in older people: a systematic review. BMC Publ Health. 2011, 11: 647-10.1186/1471-2458-11-647. source
- Not checked yetcites [23] Bushman BJ: Vote-counting procedures in meta-analysis. The Handbook of Research Synthesis. Edited by: Cooper H, Hedges LV. 1984, New York, USA: Russell Sage, 193-213.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The methodological quality of each paper was appraised to generate a risk of bias score. These numerical scores were used to aid interpretation only and not as a quality filter when synthesising results.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Experimental and cohort studies comparing the physical and mental health outcomes and mortality of a volunteering group to a non-volunteering group were identified from twelve electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, HMIC, SSCI, ASSIA, Social Care Online, Social Policy and Practice) and citation tracking in January 2013.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Abstract > Methods
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cohort studies [20] was used to assess the quality of non-RCTs and cohort studies.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [20] Wells GA, Shea B, O’Connell D, Peterson J, Welch V, Losos M, Tugwell P: The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for assessing the quality of nonrandomised studies in meta-analyses. 2012, http://www.ohri.ca/programs/clinical_epidemiology/oxford.asp,
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Although interpreting evidence of effectiveness from longitudinal analysis of cohort studies may be problematic, they were included due to the limited evidence from experimental studies.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Search strategy
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Health outcomes which included mortality, and physical or mental health measures could be self-reported or extracted from routine records; no quality filtering was applied although the validity of each measure was noted.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Reassuringly, the estimates of the prevalence of volunteering from observational studies is consistent with other sources [3,5], which found the prevalence of volunteering is generally higher in the USA compared with European cohorts, and that older people may be less likely to volunteer than their younger counterparts [64].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [3] Bureau of Labor Statistics - US Department of Labor: Volunteering in the United States - 2011. 2012, USA: Department of Labor
- Not checked yetcites [5] Mathou C: Volunteering in the European Union - final report. Educational, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency - Directorate General Education and Culture. 2010, London, UK: GHK
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Although people tend to volunteer for altruistic reasons [9], if reciprocity is not experienced, then the positive impact of volunteering on quality of life is negated [56,63].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [9] Konrath S, Fuhrel-Forbis A, Lou A, Brown S: Motives for volunteering are associated with mortality risk in older adults. Health Psychol. 2012, 31: 87-96. source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“Reassuringly, the estimates of the prevalence of volunteering from observational studies is consistent with other sources [3,5], which found the prevalence of volunteering is generally higher in the USA compared with European cohorts, and that older people may be less likely to volunteer than their younger counterparts [64].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [64] Department for Communities and Local Government: Citizenship survey: 2009–10 (April 2009 - March 2010), England. 2010, London, UK: UK Government
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“The importance of reciprocity was highlighted in the cross sectional analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA); retired people who engaged in either paid work or volunteering experienced greater levels of wellbeing compared to those retirees who engaged in caring [8].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [8] McMunn A, Nazroo J, Wahrendorf M, Breeze E, Zaninotto P: Participation in socially-productive activities, reciprocity and wellbeing in later life: baseline results in England. Ageing Soc. 2009, 29: 765-782. 10.1017/S0144686X08008350. source
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“The State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2011 [14], the Policy Agenda for Volunteering in Europe (PAVE) [13], the CNCS Strategic Plan 2011–2015 [7] and the UK government policy [15] advocate the uptake of volunteering as a method of improving civic engagement, with the added potential of improving participants’ health and wellbeing [16].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Implications for health inequalities, practice and research
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [14] United Nations Volunteers: State of the world’s volunteerism report 2011. Universal values for global well-being. 2011, Bonn, Germany: United Nations Volunteers source
- Not checked yetcites [13] European Year of Voluteering: Policy Agenda for Volunteering in Europe (PAVE). 2011, Brussels, Belgium: EYV 2011 Alliance Secretariat
- Not checked yetcites [7] Corporation for National and Community Service: The Corporation for National and Community Service Strategic Plan 2011–2015. 2011, http://www.nationalservice.gov/sites/default/files/documents/11_0203_cncs_strategic_plan.pdf,
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Taken together, this review suggests that bio-social and cultural factors may influence both a willingness to engage in volunteering, as well as the benefits that might accrue.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“A hierarchy of evidence approach [17] was applied; only experimental (randomised and non-randomised controlled trials) and cohort studies were included.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Methods > Search strategy
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [17] Centre for Reviews and Dissemination: Systematic reviews. CRD’s guidance for undertaking reviews in health care. 2009, UK: Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, Univeristy of York
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Since people reporting stronger social relationships have a reduced risk of mortality [68], the social aspects of volunteering may contribute to the observed survival differences.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [68] Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB: Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Med. 2010, 7: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316.
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Two recent systematic reviews reported narrative evidence of the potential health benefits from volunteering, but findings were restricted to older adults and evidence from only one trial [11,12].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Background
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [11] von Bonsdorff MB, Rantanen T: Benefits of formal voluntary work among older people. A review. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2011, 23: 162-169. source
- Not checked yetcites [12] Cattan M, Hogg E, Hardill I: Improving quality of life in ageing populations: what can volunteering do?. Maturitas. 2011, 70: 328-332. 10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.08.010. source
hedgedcorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Alongside more traditional health promotion goals, such as reducing physical inactivity and excess weight in adults, the new Public Health Framework for England (2013–16) [69] includes self-reported wellbeing and improving health-related quality of life for older people as indicators.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Implications for health inequalities, practice and research
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [69] Department of Health: Improving outcomes and supporting transparency. Part 1: a public health outcomes framework for England, 2013–2016. 2012, London, UK: Department of Health
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The relevance of the current findings on a nation where health inequalities and volunteering are less prevalent may be questionable.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
In the paper
“While meta-analysis of survival data was undertaken, analysis of the remaining physical and mental health outcomes was restricted to vote counting [23] due to heterogeneous trial interventions and study methods of both trial and observational studies.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [23] Bushman BJ: Vote-counting procedures in meta-analysis. The Handbook of Research Synthesis. Edited by: Cooper H, Hedges LV. 1984, New York, USA: Russell Sage, 193-213.
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Many uncertainties remain that preclude clear recommendations for practice.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Implications for health inequalities, practice and research
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“The emerging science of evaluating the impact of complex health behavioural change is giving new insights into intervention mapping and development [70].”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Conclusions
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [70] Bartholomew LK, Parcel GS, Kok G, Gottlieb NH, Fernandez ME: Planning health promotion programs: an intervention mapping approach. 2011, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 3
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“However, ‘volunteering’ (as assessed in cohort studies) is rarely described and heterogeneous in nature suggesting that future evaluations must seek to better describe the intervention ‘tested’.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Conclusions
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“While the underlying causal mechanisms cannot be explained due to the potential for reverse causation and selection bias, synthesis of observational data suggests that people who choose to volunteer are at a lower risk of mortality, and may experience some benefits in terms of physical and mental health.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Implications for health inequalities, practice and research
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“By adopting this approach, it may be more feasible over the long-term, to robustly design and adequately power, pragmatic RCTs.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Conclusions
hedgedconditional- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: fails — It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
The paper relies on this without support.
The adjusted estimates from the included cohort studies adequately control for important potential socio-demographic and health-related confounders.
“After adjusting for important potential socio-demographic and health-related confounders, volunteers had a significantly lower risk of mortality (risk ratio: 0.78; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.90; I2 test: p = 0.65) compared to non-volunteers”
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?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“The cost of volunteering (D2) cannot be reduced to time investment alone; it emerges through the interaction of emotional demands, intensity, subjective meaning, and available coping resources, and it issues in a psychological consequence (D7) that organizational support and perceived recognition appear to buffer (21, 23, 33).”
From Volunteerism as a multidimensional form of human prosocial engagement (2026) · cites this paper as [23]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“A growing body of research indicates that volunteering is associated with beneficial mental, social, and physical health outcomes, including higher wellbeing, lower distress, greater social connectedness, better functional health, and, in some longitudinal studies, lower mortality risk (21–24).”
From Volunteerism as a multidimensional form of human prosocial engagement (2026) · cites this paper as [23]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe cited source says what the claim attributes to it.
In the citing paper
“Evidence for a precise optimal level remains inconsistent, and this inconsistency is itself a finding the framework must accommodate rather than resolve by assertion (23).”
From Volunteerism as a multidimensional form of human prosocial engagement (2026) · cites this paper as [23]
In the citing paper
“However, much of this research has been correlationalshowing, for example, that people who spend more money on others are happier (Aknin, Barrington-Leigh, et al., 2013), or people who volunteer to help others are healthier (Jenkinson et al., 2013).”
From Happy to help? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of performing acts of kindness on the well-being of the actor (2018) · cites this paper as Jenkinson et al., 2013
In the citing paper
“It was shown that less calories [469], good sleep [470], less stress [471], good relationships [472], no smoke and low alcohol drinking are environmental factors capable of delaying aging, while genetic factors play a role for in 25% to 30% of life expectancy [473].”
From The Role of Antioxidants in the Interplay between Oxidative Stress and Senescence (2022) · cites this paper as [472]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Discussion > Interpreting study findings
“Heterogeneous findings were observed in the five trials [30,35,37,54,58,62] investigating the health effects of intergenerational volunteering among older adults”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Study participants and interventions
“Four RCTs [30,35,37,54,58,62] and one non-RCT [27] investigated intergenerational volunteering interventions”
Rated minor: it would not touch a result — a value no result rests on, a p-value that stays on the same side of the significance level, or a conflict that is clerical, resolved elsewhere in the paper, or outside its own findings.
In the paper
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Impact of volunteering on health outcomes and survival
“Only one RCT [29] found volunteering significantly improved cognitive function.”
§ Is volunteering a public health intervention? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the health and survival of volunteers > Results > Study characteristics
“Of the non-RCTs [27,29,34,57], one paper was drawn from a small sample (n = 18) of Experience Corps trial participants [29]”
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- Mathou C: Volunteering in the European Union - final report. Educational, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency - Directorate General Education and Culture. 2010, London, UK: GHK
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 501–600 of 728
Jackson, B., Holland, M. L., Smye, V. L., Lowe, S., & Sadler, L. S. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0338574 · Cited by 3
Leisure activities are associated with physical and mental health
Brown, C. K., Glei, D. A., Lee, C., & Weinstein, M. (2026) · Current Research in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.crbeha.2026.100206 · Cited by 3
“Finally, some studies suggest volunteerism is more strongly associated with mental health than physical health, [Jenkinson et al., 2013] but others yield mixed results [Elsden et al., 2022].”
Gray, D., & Manning, R. (2022) · Disability and Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09638288.2022.2125591 · Cited by 3
Care Competencies Training Enhances Adolescents’ Well-being: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Nguyen, C.-T. P., Beyers, W., Valcke, M., & Dinh, H. T. (2024) · Psychosocial Intervention · doi:10.5093/pi2024a10 · Cited by 3
A Qualitative Investigation of Civic Engagement and Well-Being among Non-College-Bound Young Adults
Fenn, N. Q., AlSanea, A., McClean, E., Pearson‐Merkowitz, S., Yang, M., & Robbins, M. L. (2024) · Youth · doi:10.3390/youth4020058 · Cited by 3
“Individual well-being aside, all four types are important for the functioning of democracies and communities [3,21,22].”
BackgroundHospital volunteer programs for older people: A systematic scoping review
Saunders, R., Ocampo, F. A., Graham, R., Christiansen, A., Gay, M., & Seaman, K. L. (2024) · Geriatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2024.11.005 · Cited by 3
Return‐to‐work in lung transplant recipients: an Australian perspective
Munsif, M., Donnan, M. T., Snell, G. I., Levin, K., & Paraskeva, M. A. (2025) · Internal Medicine Journal · doi:10.1111/imj.16641 · Cited by 3
“33 Patients with CF pose the greatest challenge regarding RTW after transplant.”
The imperative of planetary mental health: insights, recommendations, and a call to action
Klamert, L., Brockett, C., Craike, M. J., Shrestha, N., & Parker, A. G. (2025) · Global Public Health · doi:10.1080/17441692.2025.2541220 · Cited by 3
“In turn, community involvement, participation, and volunteering (Jenkinson et al., 2013) have been shown to positively impact subjective well-being (Evans, 2008).”
Professional Experience; The Creation of the ‘Health Ambassadors’ Network’ in Spain
Cedenilla, N., Suero, P., Hernández, N. P., Márquez, C., Salgado, H., Salgado, J. O., & López, A. (2014) · Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.04.374 · Cited by 3
Implementer resistance to school food policy: unpacking the paradox
Levay, A., Chapman, G. E., & Seed, B. (2018) · British Food Journal · doi:10.1108/bfj-09-2017-0533 · Cited by 3
Parenting while grieving: the impact of baby loss
Cleaver, H., Rose, W., Young, E., & Veitch, R. (2018) · Journal of Public Mental Health · doi:10.1108/jpmh-07-2018-0042 · Cited by 3
Implementing Community-Based Mental Health Promotion Strategies
Barry, M. M. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-23455-3_7 · Cited by 3
Health Literacy im Jugendalter: Anforderungen an Messinstrumente
Jordan, S., Domańska, O. M., & Loer, A.-K. M. (2020) · Gesundheit und Gesellschaft · doi:10.1007/978-3-658-29816-6_6 · Cited by 3
Seymour, V., & Wood, M. (2021) · Journal of Applied Social Science · doi:10.1177/1936724421998265 · Cited by 3
“Existing research studies have started to identify the health benefits of these activities, with some suggesting it could be used as an intervention supporting existing health care services (Jenkinson et al. 2013).”
BackgroundCórdoba-Rodríguez, D. P., Iglesia, I., Gómez‐Bruton, A., Miguel‐Berges, M. L., Flores‐Barrantes, P., Casajús, J. A., Moreno, L. A., & Rodrı́guez, G. (2021) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640414.2021.1994728 · Cited by 6
Does volunteering improve the psychosocial well-being of volunteers?
Chew, T.-W., Ong, C. S.-L., Oh, V. Y. S., & Tong, E. M. W. (2022) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-022-03345-y · Cited by 3
“Many prospective cohort studies found positive relationships between volunteering and physical and psychological health (see review by Anderson et al., 2014; Jenkinson et al., 2013; Son & Wilson, 2012).”
BackgroundSharp, M., Jones, M., Burdett, H. J., & Fear, N. T. (2023) · Journal of Military Veteran and Family Health · doi:10.3138/jmvfh-2022-0056 · Cited by 3
Applying the PERMA Framework to Young Volunteers in Aotearoa New Zealand
Carlton, S., & Wong, J. H. K. (2023) · International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology · doi:10.1007/s41042-023-00108-3 · Cited by 6
“…is another activity that researchers suggest generates well-being benefits (e.g. Binder & Freytag, 2013; Borgonovi, 2008; Elias et al., 2016; Jenkinson et al., 2013; Son & Wilson, 2012); however, only a few studies have used PERMA to examine the well-being of volunteers (Abd Rahman & Abdul…”
Wakefield, J. R. H., Bowe, M., Këllezi, B., Harkin, L., Baker, C. W., & Shala, A. (2023) · European Journal of Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/ejsp.3012 · Cited by 3
Mulrooney, H. M., & Ranta, R. (2024) · Journal of Poverty and Social Justice · doi:10.1332/17598273y2024d000000017 · Cited by 3
Overlapping Functions: Volunteering and Other Forms of Civic Participation in the COVID-19 Disaster
Wong, K. L. (2024) · VOLUNTAS International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations · doi:10.1007/s11266-024-00652-9 · Cited by 3
“Further, with its collateral benefits to public health outcomes and social integration, volunteering has been promoted as a social norm (Boje, 2015; Jenkinson et al., 2013).”
Dadswell, A., Bungay, H., Acton, F., & Walshe, N. (2024) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1386181 · Cited by 3
Challenges and Solutions for the Safety of Children in the Community
Blair, M. E., Sayani, S., & Wortley, E. (2015) · Current Treatment Options in Pediatrics · doi:10.1007/s40746-015-0033-5 · Cited by 3
COVID-19 black swan and personal protective equipment (PPE) in Pakistan
Ahmad, A., Shoaib, M., & Abdullah, F. (2021) · Health Education · doi:10.1108/he-06-2021-0093 · Cited by 3
Volunteer Working during COVID-19 in Jordanian Community: Advantages and Challenges
Alhajjaj, H. A., & Al-Nabulsi, H. H. (2022) · Social Sciences · doi:10.3390/socsci11080377 · Cited by 3
“Volunteering provides a variety of health and eudemonic benefits (such as higher self-rated health, reduced levels of depression, improved wellbeing, self-esteem, and quality of life) (Jenkinson et al. 2013).”
BackgroundSociety and the Individual at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century
Antonucci, T. C., Berkman, L. F., Borsch-Supan, A. H., Carstensen, L. L., Fried, L. P., Furstenberg, F. F., Goldman, D. P., Jackson, J. S., Kohli, M., Olshansky, S. J., et al. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-411469-2.00003-0 · Cited by 3
Reflexões sobre o papel das unidades de economia da saúde no âmbito de sistemas nacionais de saúde
Vieira, F. S. (2016) · Saúde e Sociedade · doi:10.1590/s0104-12902016154831 · Cited by 3
Serrat, R., Villar, F., & Celdrán, M. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-98920-4_13 · Cited by 3
Yang, J. (2020) · Journal of Gerontological Social Work · doi:10.1080/01634372.2020.1744057 · Cited by 3
“Formal volunteering, which refers to unpaid activities performed in an organization or a group, has been found to have positive effects on older adults’ health and wellbeing (Jenkinson et al., 2013; Morrow-Howell, 2010).”
BackgroundInfluentialGenital Warts Among Men Attending a Dermatology Clinic: Risk Factors and Knowledge
Motazedian, N., Sayadi, M., & Beheshti, S. (2020) · international journal high risk behaviors & addiction · doi:10.5812/ijhrba.97530 · Cited by 3
Nutritional intake of university employees’
Lima, J. P. M., Costa, S. A., & da Rocha, A. M. C. N. (2018) · British Food Journal · doi:10.1108/bfj-01-2017-0025 · Cited by 4
Litchke, L. G., Dorman, R., Willemin, T., & Liu, T. (2019) · Cited by 3
Predictive Factors of Organizational Support Communication in Volunteer Mentor Retention
Stukey, J. K. (2016) · ScholarWorks (Walden University) · Cited by 3
Equal in ashes? Exploring socioeconomic inequalities in lifespan based on obituary data in Austria
Mayer, S., Berger, M., & Oberndorfer, M. (2023) · SSM - Population Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101550 · Cited by 3
Carlton, S., & Wong, J. H. K. (2024) · International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction · doi:10.1016/j.ijdrr.2024.104837 · Cited by 2
Changes in volunteers’ attitudes towards mental illness after remote volunteering support
da Costa, M. P., Kantaveenam, V., & Ahmed, N. (2024) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-024-07089-9 · Cited by 2
“…focused on the effects of volunteering programmes on volunteers’ mental well-being and their general attitudes towards volunteering itself (Jenkinson et al., 2013), there is a critical gap in our understanding of how remote volunteering specifically shapes volunteers’ attitudes and…”
Volunteering, chronic stress, and systemic inflammation among middle-aged and older adults
Han, S. H., Choi, J., Kuenstler, M., & Kim, Y. K. (2025) · Psychoneuroendocrinology · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107552 · Cited by 2
Jin, H., Ding, X., Li, Z., Cao, J., Sun, X., Ji, Y., & Ning, F. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0330838 · Cited by 2
“In routine settings, older adults may volunteer to offset social isolation after retirement [29,30], and homemakers often engage to compensate for their reduced workplace contacts [7].”
A systematic review of how volunteering relates to job satisfaction and job performance
Bansi, D., Petkari, E., Sánchez‐Gutiérrez, T., & da Costa, M. P. (2025) · Discover Psychology · doi:10.1007/s44202-025-00403-x · Cited by 2
“Existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses have focused on general well-being and health outcomes, leaving a gap in understanding how volunteering relates to specific job-related outcomes [3, 27].”
Miért nem önkénteskedünk? Az akadályozó tényezők empirikus vizsgálata
Bifkovics, B., & Béla-Csovcsics, A. (2025) · Vezetéstudomány / Budapest Management Review · doi:10.14267/veztud.2025.11.03 · Cited by 2
Chen, Y., Case, B. W., Long, K. N. G., Woodberry, R. D., Kim, E. S., Padgett, R. N., Johnson, B. R., & VanderWeele, T. J. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-24020-9 · Cited by 2
Huang, R., Li, S., Guo, Y., Yang, X., & Zhang, B. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1701431 · Cited by 3
Wu, F., & Nugent, J. B. (2026) · Social Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s11205-025-03763-y · Cited by 2
“…the broader literature demonstrating the benefits of civic engagement for well-being and health (Chan & Mak, 2020 ; Helliwell & Putnam, 2004; Jenkinson et al., 2013; Musick & Wilson, 2003), thus supporting the promotion of civic engagement alongside formal institutions such as legal…”
Voting behavior and mortality risk in older adults: Evidence from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study
Handy, F., & Konrath, S. (2026) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbag034 · Cited by 2
“There is a robust body of literature on the health implications of civic engagement, especially volunteering (Ballard et al., 2019; Jenkinson et al., 2013; Konrath et al., 2012; Okun et al., 2013; Wray-Lake et al., 2019).”
Lubics, O., Fehér, A., Gyimesi, B., Basler, J., Magyaródi, T., & Nagy, H. (2026) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-026-10216-7 · Cited by 2
“…candidate for a fourth need has gained significant theoreti - cal and empirical attention, bolstered by extensive research linking prosocial behavior to well-being (Aknin et al., 2022; Curry et al., 2018; Hui et al., 2020; Jenkinson et al., 2013; Memmott-Elison et al., 2020; Okun et al., 2013).”
Social cohesion, social capital and mental health: current evidence and future research directions
Kawachi, I. I. (2026) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.70040 · Cited by 2
“Volunteering is a prototypical example of a meaningful social activity associated with improved mental health, at least in observational studies 124 .”
Zang, W., Liu, N., Wu, J., Zhang, Q., & Junxiu, W. (2026) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2026.121987 · Cited by 2
James, J. E. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-802812-4.00015-1 · Cited by 3
Tsadik, M., Berhane, Y., Worku, A., & Terefe, W. (2017) · Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1007/s10389-017-0834-z · Cited by 2
Patterns of older Australians’ engagement in health-promoting activities: a latent profile analysis
Pettigrew, S., Dana, L. M., Jongenelis, M. I., & Jackson, B. (2020) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x20001397 · Cited by 2
“These include walking, gardening and volunteering (Jenkinson et al., 2013; Hanson and Jones, 2015; Husk et al., 2018).”
Heller, R. F. (2021) · Springer briefs in education · doi:10.1007/978-981-16-6506-6_3 · Cited by 2
Friendship in Later Life: A Pathway Between Volunteering Hours and Depressive Symptoms
Lim, E., Peng, C., & Burr, J. A. (2022) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbac168 · Cited by 3
A “life changing” year: intangible legacies of the Hull City of Culture volunteer programme
Whitfield, J. (2023) · Arts and the Market · doi:10.1108/aam-08-2021-0044 · Cited by 2
Occhipinti, J., Ho, N., Crosland, P., Huntley, S., Hawkins, W., Connell, A., Piccone, J., Piper, S., Hosseini, S. H., Vacher, C., et al. (2025) · European Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.10053 · Cited by 2
“Evidence suggests that participation in socially productive activities like volun-teering provides numerous direct benefits for young people, including improved well-being, mental health, pro-social behaviour, and life satisfaction, observed in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies [60, 61].”
Social Media and Alcohol Use: Adverse Impact of Facebook and Twitter on College Students
Shah, G., Alfonso, M. L., & Jolani, N. (2015) · Advances in social networking and online communities book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-4666-7401-1.ch002 · Cited by 1
Min, H. Y., Kim, S., & Cho, H. (2017) · Asian Nursing Research · doi:10.1016/j.anr.2017.03.006 · Cited by 2
The Patient Survey Programme: Transforming the patient experience in Irish healthcare
Byers, V., Fahey, D. K., Mullins, C., & Roe, C. A. (2017) · Administration · doi:10.1515/admin-2017-0035 · Cited by 2
“Volunteering has long been recognised as a way to engage people in their local communities and improve social capital (Jenkinson et al., 2013).”
BackgroundVoter Registration and Jail-Incarcerated Women: Are Justice-Involved Women Civically Engaged?
Emerson, A., Allison, M. J., & Ramaswamy, M. (2019) · Women & Criminal Justice · doi:10.1080/08974454.2019.1586620 · Cited by 2
“Researchers have linked social exclusion to a range of physical and mental health deficits (Bath & Deeg, 2005; Holt-Lunstad, Smith, & Layton, 2010; Jenkinson et al., 2013; Pleace & Quilgars, 2013; Umberson & Montez, 2010).”
BackgroundManiatopoulos, G., Hunter, D. J., & Gray, J. (2020) · Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdaa016 · Cited by 2
Taffel, M. T., Hochman, K. A., Chhor, C. M., Alaia, E. F., Borja, M. J., Sondhi, J., Lala, S. V., & Tong, A. Y. (2020) · Journal of the American College of Radiology · doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2020.08.019 · Cited by 2
“” Though the indicated goals of motivation may have centered on service to others, the act of volunteering itself likely bolstered the mental health of the participants [12,13].”
Perspectives on Working with Immigrants Held in Detention Using Photovoice
MacLean, S. A., Agyeman, P. O., Singer, E. K., Baranowski, K. A., & Katz, C. L. (2020) · Psychiatric Quarterly · doi:10.1007/s11126-020-09853-z · Cited by 2
Volunteering in Health Care Context: A Concept Analysis Using Rodger’s Evolutionary Approach
A’la, M. Z., Nuntaboot, K., & Rungreangkulkij, S. (2020) · Nurse Media Journal of Nursing · doi:10.14710/nmjn.v10i3.30782 · Cited by 3
“of the health services system and needs special attention (Jenkinson et al., 2013; Pilayon & Nuntaboot, 2017; Singh, Cumming, Mohajer, & Negin, 2016).”
BackgroundInfluentialLima, M. L., Camilo, C., Quintal, F., & Palacín-Lois, M. (2021) · International Journal of Social Psychology Revista de Psicología Social · doi:10.1080/02134748.2021.1942682 · Cited by 2
“Esta investigación es coherente con trabajos anteriores sobre los impactos positivos del voluntariado (Jenkinson et al., 2013; Okun et al., 2013), y los amplía teniendo en cuenta el papel del liderazgo en la actividad asociativa.”
BackgroundResultInfluentialHealth risk behaviors among university students: the role of outdoor sports and electronic sports
Anwar, S., Noor, S., & Asrar‐ul‐Haq, M. (2021) · Journal of Humanities and Applied Social Sciences · doi:10.1108/jhass-06-2021-0104 · Cited by 3
On the Intergenerational Transmission of Health Inequality
Will, D., & Wang, F. (2021) · Science Insights · doi:10.15354/si.21.re262 · Cited by 2
“Cumulating evidence indicated that generosity could improve health by lowering blood pressure (57), reducing stress and depression levels (58), reducing inflammatory cytokine levels of interleukin-6 (59), and longer life expectancy (60).”
BackgroundVoluntary sector participation and individual health and welfare: Does it matter where?
Handy, F., & Sealey, A. (2022) · Social Science Quarterly · doi:10.1111/ssqu.13135 · Cited by 2
Candy, B., Low, J., Scott, R., & Pelttari, L. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-77740-5_120 · Cited by 2
Pong, H.-K. (2022) · Journal of Beliefs and Values · doi:10.1080/13617672.2022.2133429 · Cited by 2
“A review of more than 40 studies on the relationship between volunteering and health over the past 20 years revealed that volunteering was strongly associated with improved well-being, lower depression and a 22% lower risk of premature death (Jenkinson et al. 2013).”
BackgroundA realist interview study of a participatory public mental health project “#KindnessByPost”
Scott, H. R., Warran, K., Fraser, K. L., Chipp, B., McGinnes, G., Towers, M., Lloyd‐Evans, B., & Rains, L. S. (2023) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-17372-2 · Cited by 2
“These results suggest the offering of kindness was an important mechanism in positive outcomes and support the idea that the act of helping others without the expectation of a reciprocal act is known to benefit wellbeing [21, 22].”
ResultHotta, K., & Ishimaru, M. (2024) · Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics Plus · doi:10.1016/j.aggp.2024.100086 · Cited by 2
Jannat, F., Khorasani‐Zavareh, D., Aghazadeh-Attari, J., Allahbakhshi, K., & Mohebbi, I. (2020) · Natural Hazards · doi:10.1007/s11069-020-04055-z · Cited by 2
Motivation for volunteering with older adults in a rural community
Truesdell, T. M. (2016) · ScholarWorks (Walden University) · Cited by 2
Mamsharifi, P., Sohrābi, F., Seidi, P. A.-M., Borjali, A., Hoseininezhad, N., Rezaeifar, H., & Asadi, N. Z. (2021) · Research Square · doi:10.21203/rs.3.rs-143002/v1 · Cited by 2
Physical Activity and Sleep Improvements in a Group of Equestrian Therapy Volunteers: A Pilot Study
García-Peña, I. M., Gómez, A. G., Barona, E. J. G., Manso, J. M. M., & My works are correct, B. M. I. A. A. I. S. R. L. M. T. I. D. A.-M. (2022) · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · doi:10.1155/2022/5364491 · Cited by 1
Hogan, K., Vierimaa, M., & Dithurbide, L. (2023) · International Sport Coaching Journal · doi:10.1123/iscj.2022-0100 · Cited by 2
Belval, J., Lambert, S., Miller, C.-A., Grosse, J., Boudreault, P., & Belzile, É. (2023) · International Journal of Migration Health and Social Care · doi:10.1108/ijmhsc-02-2023-0014 · Cited by 1
Vincent, R. E., Ashworth, R., Donaldson, I., Hayden, J., King, G., Maddocks, C., Oliver, K., Robertson, M., Russ, T. C., & Wilkinson, H. A. (2026) · Dementia · doi:10.1177/14713012261471610 · Cited by 1
The Oldest Old as Voluntary Workers
Paoletti, I. (2024) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-97-5041-2_10 · Cited by 1
Al‐Ghamdi, S. A., & Alshomrani, A. T. (2024) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.68855 · Cited by 1
“Worldwide, the prevalence of adult volunteering varies considerably with estimates of 27% in the USA, 36% in Australia, and 22.5% in Europe (countries ranging from 10% as in Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, and Lithuania to >40% as in Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK) [3].”
BackgroundInfluentialHerzog, J. R., Dillard, D., King, E. A., Rotunda, R. J., Wilson, K. O., & Dilks, J. (2024) · Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work Social Thought · doi:10.1080/15426432.2024.2416579 · Cited by 1
“A meta-analysis (Jenkinson et al., 2013) found that volunteering had a favorable effect on depression, life satisfaction, and well-being.”
Usadolo, Q. E. (2024) · Public Organization Review · doi:10.1007/s11115-024-00798-6 · Cited by 2
“Furthermore, the use of volunteers as participants in this study has helped to fill the gap and contributes to the existing literature regarding the call to examine the mecha - nisms of management effects in order to reveal important determinants (Jenkinson et al., 2013 ) in volunteer context.”
Hajak, V. L., Grimm, S., Gruszczyńska, E., Kroemeke, A., Józefacka, N. M., & Warner, L. M. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-024-02319-y · Cited by 2
Healthy and Happy Community Networks—Building Healthy Communities
Yau, E., & Fong, B. Y. F. (2025) · Quality of life in Asia · doi:10.1007/978-981-96-0817-1_39 · Cited by 1
Gonzales, E. G., Whetung, C., & Lee, Y. J. (2025) · Journal of Gerontological Social Work · doi:10.1080/01634372.2025.2504071 · Cited by 1
“Evidence from this study on Hispanics further supports the notion that volunteering should be considered a public health intervention, especially among Hispanics with low levels of education (Fried et al., 2004; George & Singer, 2011; Han et al., 2020; Jenkinson et al., 2013; Russell et al., 2019).”
How do online volunteers take care of their health?
Antonova, N. L., & KULMINSKAYA, A. V. (2025) · Civil Szemle · doi:10.62560/csz.2025.03.3 · Cited by 1
Cultural Accessibility and Its Potential Impact on Well-Being: A Spatial Analysis of Poland
Pochwatko, G., Grzeszczuk, M., Bagrowska, P., Marchlewska, M., Rogoza, M., Molenda, Z., & Adamczyk, D. (2025) · Lecture notes in networks and systems · doi:10.1007/978-3-032-05802-7_3 · Cited by 1
Chen, Z. J., Wilkinson, R., & Cowden, R. G. (2025) · Stress and Health · doi:10.1002/smi.70110 · Cited by 1
Hui, B. P. H., Zhang, T., Ho, J. C. F., Cheng, S. K. L., Li, C., Wong, R., & Chen, S. X. (2025) · Internet Interventions · doi:10.1016/j.invent.2025.100883 · Cited by 1
“Consequently, prosocial interventions are increasingly recognized as a promising public health strategy for promoting well-being (Hirani et al., 2022; Jenkinson et al., 2013).”
A critical action learning approach to developing the capabilities of NEET youth in South Africa
Nxumalo, N., & Wood, L. A. (2025) · Action Learning Research and Practice · doi:10.1080/14767333.2025.2563844 · Cited by 1
“We understood that the process of engaging youth who are NEET in a project where they would learn how to support their peers would also enable them to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to improve their own life opportunities (Curry et al. 2018; Jenkinson et al. 2013).”
Ho, D., Liu, Y., Conklin, J., Fitzpatrick, T., Wang, J., Day, S., Hlatshwako, T. G., Ramaswamy, R., Wang, R. C., Kpokiri, E. E., et al. (2025) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.37382 · Cited by 2
Spiritus-Beerden, E., Verelst, A., Devlieger, I., Guedes, F. B., Chiarenza, A., Maesschalck, S. D., Durbeej, N., Garrido, R., de Matos, M. G., Ioannidi, E., et al. (2025) · Health Education Research · doi:10.1093/her/cyaf033 · Cited by 1
Maki, N., Matsuda, H., Eto, S., Araki, A., Takao, T., & Mayers, T. (2026) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare14020190 · Cited by 3
“Volunteering has consistently been shown to offer numerous benefits, particularly for older adults [19–25].”
Volunteering and Metabolic Syndrome and Diabetes in Black Adolescents From Low-Income Families
Chen, E., Germer, S. O., Moon, H., Dezil, J., Hayen, R., & Yu, T. (2026) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.53419 · Cited by 2
Arnold, S. H., & Rhodes, M. (2026) · Child Development · doi:10.1093/chidev/aacaf008 · Cited by 1
Taggart, L., Hassiotis, A., Ryan, A. A., Bunting, B. P., O’Neill, C., Clarke, M. J., Stancliffe, R. J., Ahmed, H., Kim, E., Armstrong, L., et al. (2026) · Pilot and Feasibility Studies · doi:10.1186/s40814-026-01780-3 · Cited by 2
“Such schemes can improve perceived social support and psychological wellbeing [27] and may also benefit volunteers through enhanced empathy and community cohesion [28].”
Walker, E. S., Fancourt, D. E., & Mak, H. W. (2026) · Perspectives in Public Health · doi:10.1177/17579139261421163 · Cited by 1
Single-session volunteering reduces loneliness in older adults: immediate and long-term effects
Niu, C.-C., Wu, K., & Yu, J. (2026) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnag083 · Cited by 1
Understanding civic participation of older adults: a scoping review
Lai, C., Annichiarico, C., Harris, M. L., Ashcraft, A., Montayre, J., & Jones, C. (2026) · Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics · doi:10.1016/j.archger.2026.106291 · Cited by 1
The Association Between Prosocial Behavior and Mental Health: A Three‐Level Meta‐Analysis
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Metadata
- Authors
- Jenkinson, C. E., Dickens, A. P., Jones, K., Thompson-Coon, J., Taylor, R. S., Rogers, M., Bambra, C. L., Lang, I., & Richards, S. H.
- Affiliations
- University of Exeter (GB)
- University of Birmingham (GB)
- Durham University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Richards, Suzanne H
- ORCID
- Venue
- BMC Public Health
- Published
- 2013-08-23
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 773-773
- ISSN
- 1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC3766013
- OpenAlex
- W2039460587
- Semantic Scholar
- 0b7ad1238f57b6d75f54dc36fd159f5234362831
- Cited by
- 730
- References
- 75
- Citations by year
- 2026: 49 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 104 · 2020: 86 · 2019: 66 · 2018: 55 · 2017: 59 · 2016: 48 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 19.81
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- White Rose Research Online (University of Leeds, The University of Sheffield, University of York) (acceptedVersion)
- Open Research Online - ORO (The Open University) (acceptedVersion)
- ENLIGHTEN (Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling Islam) (acceptedVersion)
- University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management › Tourism, Volunteerism, and Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Keywords
- volunteering, public health interventions, volunteer health, mortality, mental health, depression, life satisfaction, well-being, physical health, social capital, health disparities
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Mental Health, Public Health, Volunteers, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Social Capital
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