Staying Engaged and Healthy: The Interplay of Volunteering and Other Productive Activities Among Older Adults

Background and Purpose: While the mechanisms through which volunteerism and other forms of productive engagement exert their positive effects on health in later life are undocumented, study after study has implicated lifestyle factors, e.g., physical activity, cognitive activity, and social interaction as potential mechanisms. It is argued that because being involved in these types of activities provides individuals with more opportunities for cognitive stimulation (using one's mind), physical activity (using one's body) and social interaction, they enhance health/well-being. A better understanding of the pathways through which productive engagement confers health benefits is needed in order to develop more targeted and effective interventions.

Method: Pooled time series models with a lagged dependent variable were estimated using core data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2000-2010) and from the HRS sub-study, the Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (CAMS, 2001-2011) (N= 2,755). Bootstrapping with 1,000 replications was used to test for mediation. En­gagement in productive activities was assessed with three items from the CAMS: paid work, volunteering, and informal helping. Participants were asked if they 1) currently work for pay; 2) volunteered for a religious, educational, health-related, or other charitable organization in the past month; and 3) provided unpaid help to friends, neighbors, or relatives in the past month. A measure indicating the number of productive activities was generated (0, 1, or 2 or 3). CAMS respondents were also asked, “How often do you use your mind in what you do?” (use of mind), “How often do you use your body in what you do?” (use of body), and “How often are your activities done with other people?” (social interaction). Response options included 1) rarely, 2) sometimes, 3) often, and 4) almost all the time.

Results: Number of productive activities had direct effects on all four health outcomes (i.e., difficulties with ADLs and IADLs, depressive symptoms, and self-rated health). Use of mind partially mediated this relationship for difficulty with ADLs and IADL’s. Use of body partially mediated this relationship for difficulty with ADLs. Social interaction partially mediated this relationship for difficulty with IADLs, depressive symptoms and self-rated health. Finally, use of mind, use of body and social interaction together mediated a substantial portion of this relationship for all four outcomes.

Conclusions and Implications: Results suggest that use of body, use of mind, and social interaction at least partially mediates the association between the number of productive activities and disability, depressive symptoms and self-rated health and that older adults who engage physically, cognitively and socially on a regular basis will experience the greatest health and well-being benefits. Interventions designed to facilitate successful aging should include discussion about the pathways by which engagement impacts outcomes in later life. Particular emphasis will be given to implications for creating volunteer opportunities that can enhance healthy aging.