Volunteering and older women: Psychosocial and health predictors of participation

Parkinson, L; Warburton, J; Sibbritt, D; Byles, J

Volunteering and older women: Psychosocial and health predictors of participation

Parkinson, L Warburton, J Sibbritt, D

Byles, J

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Aging and Mental Health, 2010, 14 (8), pp. 917 - 927
Issue Date:: 2010-11-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Parkinson, L	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Warburton, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sibbritt, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3561-9447	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Byles, J	en_US
dc.date.issued	2010-11-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Aging and Mental Health, 2010, 14 (8), pp. 917 - 927	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1360-7863	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/22492
dc.description.abstract	Objectives: As populations age, there will be a need for more volunteers in social welfare, and consequently a need to better understand potential effects of volunteering for older people. Whilst there is a body of international literature exploring health benefits of volunteering in later life, there are currently no longitudinal studies of Australian populations. Internationally, there is a lack of studies focusing on older women, who comprise the majority of the ageing population. The aim of this article was to explore the relationship between volunteering and psychosocial and health factors for a cohort of older Australian women over time. Method: Data for this study were from the oldest cohort of Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, a 20-year longitudinal survey of Australian women aged 70-75 years in 1996. Volunteering status was the factor of interest and study factors included a broad range of demographic, health and social factors. A longitudinal model was developed for mediators of volunteering over time. Results: Of 7088 women in 2005, 24.5% reported actively volunteering, 15.5% were continuing, 7.5% were new, 15.3% were intermittent and 34.7% had never been volunteers. Volunteering was associated with increased quality of life and social support. Women were more likely to continue volunteering over time if they lived in a rural area, had higher socioeconomic indicators, and better levels of physical and mental health. Conclusions: This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between volunteering and health for older women. Understanding the potential health implications of volunteering is a critical issue in current policy debates. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Aging and Mental Health	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/13607861003801045	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Geriatrics	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Cohort Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Longitudinal Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Social Behavior	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Mental Health	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Status	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Time Factors	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Quality of Life	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Social Support	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Social Welfare	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Socioeconomic Factors	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Voluntary Workers	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Australia	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Volunteers	en_US
dc.title	Volunteering and older women: Psychosocial and health predictors of participation	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	8	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	14	en_US
utslib.for	1607 Social Work	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services	en_US
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	16 Studies in Human Society	en_US
utslib.for	17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences	en_US
dc.location.activity	Amman, Jordan
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Public Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	8	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	14	en_US

Abstract:

Objectives: As populations age, there will be a need for more volunteers in social welfare, and consequently a need to better understand potential effects of volunteering for older people. Whilst there is a body of international literature exploring health benefits of volunteering in later life, there are currently no longitudinal studies of Australian populations. Internationally, there is a lack of studies focusing on older women, who comprise the majority of the ageing population. The aim of this article was to explore the relationship between volunteering and psychosocial and health factors for a cohort of older Australian women over time. Method: Data for this study were from the oldest cohort of Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, a 20-year longitudinal survey of Australian women aged 70-75 years in 1996. Volunteering status was the factor of interest and study factors included a broad range of demographic, health and social factors. A longitudinal model was developed for mediators of volunteering over time. Results: Of 7088 women in 2005, 24.5% reported actively volunteering, 15.5% were continuing, 7.5% were new, 15.3% were intermittent and 34.7% had never been volunteers. Volunteering was associated with increased quality of life and social support. Women were more likely to continue volunteering over time if they lived in a rural area, had higher socioeconomic indicators, and better levels of physical and mental health. Conclusions: This study contributes to the literature on the relationship between volunteering and health for older women. Understanding the potential health implications of volunteering is a critical issue in current policy debates. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/22492