{"title":"Formal and Informal Volunteering Among Older Adults: Associations With Health Across Sexual Orientations.","authors":"Joseph J Frey, Huei-Wern Shen, Yi Wang","doi":"10.1177/00914150251359460","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous studies document the positive health benefits of volunteering among older adults. However, little is known about the relationships between volunteering and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older adult health. This study explored associations between volunteering and health across sexual orientations of older Americans. Using nationally representative 2016 Health and Retirement Study data, weighted ordinary least squares regression analyses were conducted. Included in this cross-sectional study were 204 LGB participants and 3,333 heterosexual participants. Results indicated that for heterosexual older adults, formal volunteering was positively associated with current memory rating (<i>p</i> < .05). For LGB older adults, there were no significant relationships between volunteering and health. Statistically, the findings suggest that the well-documented health benefits of volunteering may not be supported in the LGB older adult population; substantively, the findings suggest a need to examine socially constructed meanings of volunteering among LGB older adults and related benefits. Further research is urged.</p>","PeriodicalId":47878,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Aging & Human Development","volume":" ","pages":"914150251359460"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Aging & Human Development","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00914150251359460","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"GERONTOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Previous studies document the positive health benefits of volunteering among older adults. However, little is known about the relationships between volunteering and lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) older adult health. This study explored associations between volunteering and health across sexual orientations of older Americans. Using nationally representative 2016 Health and Retirement Study data, weighted ordinary least squares regression analyses were conducted. Included in this cross-sectional study were 204 LGB participants and 3,333 heterosexual participants. Results indicated that for heterosexual older adults, formal volunteering was positively associated with current memory rating (p < .05). For LGB older adults, there were no significant relationships between volunteering and health. Statistically, the findings suggest that the well-documented health benefits of volunteering may not be supported in the LGB older adult population; substantively, the findings suggest a need to examine socially constructed meanings of volunteering among LGB older adults and related benefits. Further research is urged.
期刊介绍：
These are some of the broad questions with which the International Journal of Aging and Human Development is concerned. Emphasis is upon psychological and social studies of aging and the aged. However, the Journal also publishes research that introduces observations from other fields that illuminate the "human" side of gerontology, or utilizes gerontological observations to illuminate in other fields.
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