TY - JOUR
T1 - Longitudinal impact of volunteering on the cognitive functioning of older adults
T2 - A secondary analysis from the US Health and Retirement Study
AU - Villalonga-Olives, Ester
AU - Majercak, Kayleigh R.
AU - Almansa, Josue
AU - Khambaty, Tasneem
N1 - Funding Information:
The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) dataset is a nationally representative and prospective panel study of United States (US) adults aged 50 years, conducted by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. Since 1992, the data have been collected every two years and utilizes a multi-stage area probability sampling of households. Detailed information regarding the HRS protocol, instrumentation, and complex sampling strategy is reported elsewhere ( http://hrsonline.isr.umich.edu/ ). Response rates for the core interview are considerably high, with the baseline response rate ranging from 47.4% to 81.3% across study entry cohorts (average response rate, 73.0%) and re-interview response rates ranging from 68.8% to 92.3% [ 13 ]. HRS is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging (grant number NIA U01AG009740) and has been approved by several ethics committees, including University of Michigan IRB (IRB protocol HUM00061128) [ 14 ]. Informed consent was obtained from all HRS respondents.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
PY - 2023/7
Y1 - 2023/7
N2 - Objectives: To examine the relationship of volunteering with cognitive activity, social activity, and physical activity among older adults and, ultimately, with later cognitive functioning across different time periods.Methods: We used individual responding to three waves of the US Health and Retirement Study panel data from 2008, 2012, and 2016 (n = 2,862). Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess annual volunteering frequency (non volunteering, volunteering <100 h and ≥100 h), and an adapted version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) was used to assess memory, mental processing, knowledge, language, and orientation. A structural equation model was estimated to assess effects on cognitive functioning throughout waves.Results: Those participants that were part of volunteering activities in 2012 showed an increase between 2008 and 2012 in moderate physical activity (β = 0.19, P < 0.001 for those volunteering less than 100 h and β = 0.21, P < 0.001 for those volunteering at least 100 h), increase in social activity (β = 0.10, P = 0.052 for those volunteering less than 100 h and β = 0.12, P = 0.018 for those volunteering at least 100 h) and increase in higher cognitive activity (β = 0.13, P < 0.001 for those volunteering at least 100 h), compared to participants who did not volunteer. Higher levels of cognitive activity in 2008 and 2012 were associated with higher cognitive functioning on the following waves (β = 0.66 and β = 0.60, P < 0.001, respectively).Discussion: Volunteering is a modifiable activity that can be increased to bolster cognitive functioning in older adulthood, primarily mediated by increased cognitive activity.
AB - Objectives: To examine the relationship of volunteering with cognitive activity, social activity, and physical activity among older adults and, ultimately, with later cognitive functioning across different time periods.Methods: We used individual responding to three waves of the US Health and Retirement Study panel data from 2008, 2012, and 2016 (n = 2,862). Self-reported questionnaires were used to assess annual volunteering frequency (non volunteering, volunteering <100 h and ≥100 h), and an adapted version of the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) was used to assess memory, mental processing, knowledge, language, and orientation. A structural equation model was estimated to assess effects on cognitive functioning throughout waves.Results: Those participants that were part of volunteering activities in 2012 showed an increase between 2008 and 2012 in moderate physical activity (β = 0.19, P < 0.001 for those volunteering less than 100 h and β = 0.21, P < 0.001 for those volunteering at least 100 h), increase in social activity (β = 0.10, P = 0.052 for those volunteering less than 100 h and β = 0.12, P = 0.018 for those volunteering at least 100 h) and increase in higher cognitive activity (β = 0.13, P < 0.001 for those volunteering at least 100 h), compared to participants who did not volunteer. Higher levels of cognitive activity in 2008 and 2012 were associated with higher cognitive functioning on the following waves (β = 0.66 and β = 0.60, P < 0.001, respectively).Discussion: Volunteering is a modifiable activity that can be increased to bolster cognitive functioning in older adulthood, primarily mediated by increased cognitive activity.
KW - Aging
KW - Cognitive dysfunction
KW - Congnition
KW - Physical activity
KW - Retirement
KW - Volunteers
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijnss.2023.06.018
DO - 10.1016/j.ijnss.2023.06.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 37545782
AN - SCOPUS:85165322193
SN - 2096-6296
VL - 10
SP - 373
EP - 382
JO - International Journal of Nursing Sciences
JF - International Journal of Nursing Sciences
IS - 3
ER -