Volunteering is prospectively associated with health care use among older adults

Abstract

Rationale Although observational and experimental studies have shown that volunteering is linked with better mental health, physical health, and health behaviors, no studies have examined whether volunteering is associated with patterns of health care use. Objective The purpose of this study was to prospectively examine whether volunteering was associated with a greater use of preventive health care services, but fewer doctor visits and nights spent in the hospital. Methods Participants (n=7,168) were drawn from the 2006 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel study of American adults over the age of 51, and tracked for one wave (2 years). Logistic regression and generalized linear models were used for analyses. Results. In analyses that adjusted for sociodemographic factors and baseline health, volunteers were 30% more likely to receive flu shots (OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.16–1.47), 47% more likely to receive cholesterol tests (OR=1.47, 95% CI=1.24–1.74); female volunteers were 53% more likely to receive mammograms/x-rays (OR=1.53, 95% CI=1.28–1.83) and 21% more likely to receive Pap smears (OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.03–1.41); male volunteers were 59% more likely to receive prostate exams (OR=1.59, 95% CI=1.29–1.95). In a model that adjusted for sociodemographic factors, volunteers spent 38% fewer nights in the hospital (RR=0.62, 95% CI=0.52–0.76), however volunteering was not associated with frequency of doctor visits (RR=0.94, 95% CI=0.87–1.02). The association between volunteering and number of nights spent in the hospital was minimally affected after adjusting for potential confounding (baseline health) and explanatory variables (health behaviors, social integration, stress, positive psychological factors, personality). Conclusion This is the first known study to examine the association between volunteering and health care use. If future studies replicate these findings, the results may be used to inform the development of new strategies for increasing preventive health screenings, lowering health care use and costs, and enhancing the health of older adults.

A Rapid Review of Barriers to Volunteering for Potentially Disadvantaged Groups and Implications for Health Inequalities

“…The beneficial health and well-being outcomes of volunteering are well documented. Among other things, volunteering can improve the physical and mental health of volunteers (Alspach 2014;Fegan and Cook 2014;Salt et al 2017;Yeung et al 2017), provide a positive pathway for those experiencing social isolation (O'Brien et al 2010;South et al 2013), reduce hospital service usage (Kim and Konrath 2016), and help connect services to at-risk groups (Gilbert et al 2018;Harris et al 2015). The intrinsic value of volunteering and the societal benefits that result from increased volunteerism are increasingly recognised by policy makers (O'Donnell et al 2014).…”

Social relationships and GP use of middle-aged and older adults in Europe: a moderator analysis

“… 25 26 With regard to the size of the social network, studies found negative associations, 19 20 and others ambiguous 21 or positive associations. 22 Moreover, Kim and Konrath 60 did not find a statistically significant association between volunteering and the frequency of doctor visits. A possible explanation for these inconsistent empirical patterns can be seen in the quality dimension of SRs to partners, family and social network members.…”

Physiological Correlates of Volunteering

“…Among teens, volunteering is associated with fewer risky behaviors (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, and drug use; antisocial behavior; violence) and more beneficial ones (e.g., physical activity, school success; Benson et al 2007;Murphey et al 2004;Uggen and Janikula 1999). In a longitudinal study, volunteering predicted more preventative healthcare utilization (e.g., flu vaccine, cholesterol test) in a nationally representative sample of older adults, even when adjusting for covariates (Kim and Konrath 2014). Experimental interventions to increase volunteering behavior produced increased physical activity among older adults (Fried et al 2004;Tan et al 2009), and decreased rates of pregnancy, school failures, and problem behaviors at school among adolescents (Allen et al 1997;Switzer et al 1995).…”

“…Longitudinal studies often find that volunteering predicts having fewer functional limitations at a later time point, even when controlling for a number of plausible confounds (Choi and Tang 2014;Lum and Lightfoot 2005;Luoh and Herzog 2002;Morrow-Howell et al 2003). In addition, another longitudinal study found that volunteering predicted fewer doctor visits for physical illness and fewer overnight hospital stays in a nationally representative sample of older adults, even when adjusting for covariates (Kim and Konrath 2014). However, other studies have found that volunteering is unrelated to the later number of physician-diagnosed health conditions or nursing home residence rates (Lum and Lightfoot 2005).…”