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Volunteering Dynamics and Life Satisfaction: Self-Perceptions of Aging as a Buffer
1Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, USA.
Former volunteers experienced a decline in life satisfaction compared to continuous volunteers. However, positive self-perceptions of aging may buffer this decline, suggesting personalized interventions for older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sociology of Aging
- Psychology of Well-being
Background:
- Volunteering offers concurrent benefits, but the long-term effects for former volunteers are understudied.
- Understanding life satisfaction trajectories after cessation of volunteer work is crucial for aging well.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare life satisfaction changes in older adults across three groups: continuous volunteers, former volunteers, and continuous nonvolunteers.
- To investigate if self-perceptions of aging mediate the relationship between volunteering status and life satisfaction.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal analysis of 10,441 participants aged 50+ from the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016).
- Volunteering dynamics were tracked over 8 years (4 waves), with self-perceptions of aging and life satisfaction assessed every 4 years.
Main Results:
- Continuous volunteers reported higher life satisfaction than former volunteers and nonvolunteers, after adjusting for baseline satisfaction.
- The disparity in life satisfaction between continuous and former volunteers diminished among individuals with positive self-perceptions of aging.
Conclusions:
- Volunteering cessation may lead to a discontinuity in well-being benefits for older adults.
- Positive self-perceptions of aging can act as a psychological buffer, potentially prolonging the benefits of volunteer engagement.
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