The Impact of Volunteer Frequency on Health Outcomes
Author Information
Author(s): Nemeth Samuel, Kim Seoyoun, Halvorsen Cal, Patel Isha
Primary Institution: Rutgers School of Public Health
Hypothesis
How do different categorizations of volunteering frequency predict health outcomes?
Conclusion
Different ways of measuring volunteering frequency can affect the perceived health benefits of volunteering, but the overall conclusion about its benefits remains unchanged.
Supporting Evidence
- As the number of levels of volunteering increased, the estimated effects on health became more attenuated.
- Multiple categories of volunteering explain a larger proportion of variance in health outcomes more effectively.
- The substantive conclusions for the health benefits of volunteering did not change regardless of the measurement strategy used.
Takeaway
Volunteering can help you feel better and healthier, but how we measure how often people volunteer can change the results a bit.
Methodology
A longitudinal outcome-wide analysis using panel data from the Health and Retirement Study from 2006-2016.
Limitations
The study does not recommend a single best practice for measuring volunteering frequency.
Participant Demographics
Nationally representative panel data from the Health and Retirement Study.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
Tighter confidence intervals were observed with more categories of volunteering.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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