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Improving quality of life in ageing populations: What can volunteering do?

Cattan, Mima, Hogg, Eddy, Hardill, Irene (2011) Improving quality of life in ageing populations: What can volunteering do? Maturitas, 70 (4). pp. 328-332. ISSN 0378-5122. E-ISSN 1873-4111. (doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.08.010) (KAR id:62995)

Abstract

The year 2011 was declared the ‘European Year of Volunteering’ to recognise the contribution volunteers make to society. Such cross-national events reflect the high profile of volunteering and political imperatives to promote it. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive review of current knowledge (articles published between 2005 and 2011) regarding the role of volunteering in improving older people's quality of life (QoL) and to identify areas requiring further research. Volunteering was defined as an activity that is freely chosen, does not involve remuneration and helps or benefits those beyond an individual's immediate family. Our search identified 22 studies and 5 review articles that addressed the benefits of volunteering on older people's quality of life. Most of the research had been conducted in the United States, Canada and Australia using data from longitudinal studies. The majority of the studies concluded that there is a positive association between older people's quality of life and engagement in volunteering. Due to the study designs and the heterogeneity of the research, causality is difficult to demonstrate and the knowledge the studies bring to the subject is variable. This review shows that volunteering may help to maintain and possibly improve some older adults’ quality of life. However, there are still major gaps in our understanding of who actually benefits, the social and cultural context of volunteering and its role in reducing health and social inequalities.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2011.08.010
Uncontrolled keywords: Volunteering; Older people; Quality of life (QoL); Review; Evidence
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Depositing User: Eddy Hogg
Date Deposited: 31 Aug 2017 16:38 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:24 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/62995 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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