Informal Helping and Subsequent Health and Well-Being in Older U.S. Adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Growing evidence suggests that informal helping (unpaid volunteering not coordinated by an organization or institution) is associated with improved health and well-being outcomes. However, studies have not investigated whether changes in informal helping are associated with subsequent health and well-being.

Methods

This study evaluated if changes in informal helping (between t₀;2006/2008 and t₁;2010/2012) were associated with 35 indicators of physical, behavioral, and psychosocial health and well-being (at t₂;2014/2016) using data from 12,998 participants in the Health and Retirement study - a national cohort of US adults aged > 50.

Results

Over the four-year follow-up period, informal helping ≥ 100 (versus 0) hours/year was

SUBMITTER: Nakamura JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10215039 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature