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Longitudinal Associations Between Formal Volunteering and Cognitive Functioning
Christine M Proulx1, Angela L Curl2, Ashley E Ermer3
1Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Missouri, Columbia.
Summary
Formal volunteering benefits cognitive function in older adults, particularly for women and those with lower education. This engagement supports working memory and processing over time.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Sociology
Background:
- Cognitive decline is a significant concern in aging populations.
- Understanding modifiable factors that support cognitive health is crucial.
- Formal volunteering represents a potentially beneficial social and productive activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal relationship between formal volunteering and cognitive functioning.
- To examine how factors like sex, race, and education moderate this association.
- To analyze changes in cognitive functioning over time in relation to volunteering.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 11,100 participants aged 51+ from the Health and Retirement Survey.
- Employed multilevel models to analyze nine waves of longitudinal data.
- Simultaneously modeled associations between formal volunteering and cognitive changes.
Main Results:
- Formal volunteering was linked to higher cognitive functioning, especially in working memory and processing.
- The positive association was stronger for women and individuals with below-average education.
- The impact on cognitive functioning varied over time, strengthening for working memory/processing but weakening for general memory.
Conclusions:
- Formal volunteering is a beneficial activity for maintaining cognitive function in older age.
- The cognitive benefits of volunteering are particularly pronounced for women and those with lower educational attainment.
- Volunteering positively impacts specific cognitive domains like working memory and processing over time.
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