Volunteering as a productive ageing activity: the association with fall-related hip fracture in later life

Warburton, Jennifer; Peel, Nancye M.

doi:10.1007/s10433-008-0081-9

Cited by 34 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 41 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…66,67 Older adults who volunteered were less likely to be admitted to hospital with a fall-related hip fracture. 68 Emerging evidence also suggests that volunteering at baseline is associated with a decreased risk of hypertension at follow-up. 69,70 …”

Section: Volunteering and Health Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social participation as an indicator of successful aging: an overview of concepts and their associations with health

Douglas¹,

Georgiou

Westbrook

2017

Aust. Health Review

275

219

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives. Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology, but the concept suffers from a lack of conceptual clarity that renders it difficult to define and measure. This means that research on social participation is difficult to compare directly. The aim of the present study was to draw the literature on social participation in older adults together to inform health services researchers seeking to investigate social participation as an indicator of successful aging.Methods. A narrative review of studies investigating the association between social participation and health in adults aged 65 years and older was conducted.Results. Three concepts of social participation (i.e. social connections, informal social participation and volunteering) were defined, their measurement instruments described and evidence of their associations with health explored. All three concepts have demonstrated associations with an array of health indicators. Prospective studies reveal that social participation at baseline is positively associated with mental and physical health. Conclusion.A model of social participation on health is presented, showing the evidence that all three concepts contribute to the association between social participation and health through their shared mechanisms of social support and social cohesion with the wider community. Using an instrument that can be separated into these three distinct concepts will assist health services researchers to determine the relative effect of each form of participation on the health of older adults.What is known about the topic? Social participation has generated a wealth of research in gerontology. The scope of the literature on social participation is broad and the concepts diverse. For this reason, most previous systematic reviews have been unable to comprehensively assess the effect of all concepts of social participation on health. This means the research on social participation is difficult to compare directly, and indicators of social participation in older adults are difficult for policy makers to select. What does this paper add? This paper overviews the three concepts of social participation, their methods of measurement and their associations with health in older adults. We present a model of social participation that incorporates all three concepts of social participation and their effects on health. We argue that the use of a measure that can be segmented into each of the three forms of social participation will predict more of the variance in health outcomes than any measure on its own. What are the implications for practitioners? Enhancing the social participation of older adults is a key factor in successful aging that many older adults value. However, many service provision organisations tend to focus on meeting the specific physical needs of clients, rather than targeting services that connect older adults with their community. Targeting social participation may present one of the greatest opportunities to improve older adults'...

show abstract

Section: Volunteering and Health Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social participation as an indicator of successful aging: an overview of concepts and their associations with health

Douglas¹,

Georgiou

Westbrook

2017

Aust. Health Review

275

219

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Involvement in volunteer roles in the community has been thought of as a stepping stone to competitive employment for those who may be ambivalent about seeking employment directly [21][22][23]. A small number of studies do suggest that volunteer activity has positive effects on mental health functioning by providing structure, social engagement and support, community involvement, and enhanced self-esteem [21][22][23]. It has been used successfully in the rehabilitation of adults with TBI and for older adults for whom there are disincentives for competitive employment [23].…”

Section: What Other Outcomes Beyond Competitive Employment Should Bementioning

confidence: 99%

Vocational services research: Recommendations for next stage of work

Drebing¹,

Bell²,

Campinell³

et al. 2012

JRRD

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract-As the field of vocational services (VS) research matures, it is necessary to review its progress and identify any important gaps in measurement and methodology that may hamper future efforts. To encourage progress, we have identified (1) ways to increase consistency in measuring employment outcomes, (2) emerging patterns and lingering gaps in the range of variables and measures commonly used in VS research, (3) broader methodological patterns and needs in the area of study design and sampling, (4) interventions that warrant additional study, and (5) broad strategies to increase the overall amount and quality of VS research. The goal of this article is to assist the field in achieving clearer coherence in shared expectations and standards for research so that the field can consolidate its gains as it helps people successfully return to rewarding jobs in the community.

show abstract

“…Volunteering as a productive activity in life has been associated with social and health benefits for older people [14]. Volunteers in the reported study were aged between 63 and 76 years with a mean of 68 years and their reasons for volunteering included wanting to help others, fill a gap in their lives after losing a partner but also because volunteering kept them active, and alert and connect with people.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Supporting Family Volunteers to Increase Retention and Recruitment

Wilson

2012

ISRN Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study explored South Australian volunteers' motivations for volunteering, their satisfaction with volunteering, and their need for supportive structures. Primary data were collected from volunteers working for a self-funded charitable organisation. A selfenumerated questionnaire was distributed by mail; 214 were completed and returned (66.9% response rate). Of the responding volunteers, 82% (n = 174) were female. All were aged over 60 years (range: 63-76 years; mean: 68 years). Numerical data were entered into SPSS and analysed descriptively. Content analysis was applied to narrative data. Volunteers reported that they volunteered most often to help others, because they had spare time and because of what they received in return. Difficulties experienced included accessing continuing education and training. Organisations engaging volunteers have a responsibility to ensure that volunteers are adequately supported both in their day to day work and in training or education. Volunteers are able to become valued partners in service delivery.

show abstract

Volunteering as a productive ageing activity: the association with fall-related hip fracture in later life

Abstract: This paper aims to contribute to the literature on the relationship between productive and healthy ageing as two key theoretical concepts in contemporary ageing.

Cited by 34 publications

References 41 publications

Social participation as an indicator of successful aging: an overview of concepts and their associations with health

Social participation as an indicator of successful aging: an overview of concepts and their associations with health

Vocational services research: Recommendations for next stage of work

Supporting Family Volunteers to Increase Retention and Recruitment

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About