Volunteering Improves Health, Well-Being of Older Adults

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that volunteering more than 100 hours annually yields health benefits for adults 50 and older, reports Healio . Researchers analyzed data from 12,998 participants in the Health and Retirement Study, and determined that adults who volunteered 100 hours or more yearly had a 44 percent lower risk for mortality and a 17 percent reduced risk of impaired physical function compared with those who did not volunteer. Participants who volunteered 100 hours or more a year also were 12 percent more likely than non-volunteers to frequently be physically active. They also exhibited optimism and purpose in life, and fewer depressive symptoms and hopelessness, compared with those who did not volunteer. In addition, those who volunteered 100 hours or more a year were less lonely and were 29 percent less likely to report no contact with friends. "Regular altruistic activity reduces our risk of death even though our study didn't show any direct impact on a wide array of chronic conditions," said Eric S. Kim at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.