Volunteering and Changes in Cardiovascular Biomarkers: Longitudinal Evidence From the Health and Retirement Study

Growing body of research shows that volunteering is beneficial for those served, the volunteers, and the larger communities. However, major challenges remain that hinder the practical implications for volunteer activity as a public health intervention, including potential selection effects, lack of longitudinal studies that adjust for baseline characteristics, and a paucity of studies that consider multiple physical health outcomes in a single model.

Data from 2006 to 2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016) were used (N = 18,847). Outcome-wide analyses were utilized to evaluate if changes in volunteering between 2006/2008 (t₀) and 2010/2012 (t₁) were associated with 7 cardiovascular disease biomarkers 4 years later (2014/2016, t₂). These models were adjusted for demographic factors, socioeconomic status, health behaviors, chronic conditions, baseline biomarkers, and volunteering. Additionally, selection into volunteering and attrition were taken into account.

Compared with nonvolunteers, volunteering more than 200 hr a year was associated with a lower risk for clinically high diastolic blood pressure. In addition, increased volunteering effort (change from 1 to 99 hr at t₀ to >100 hr at t₁) was associated with a lower likelihood of clinically high systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels. Sustained high volunteering (>100 hr at both t₀ and t₁) was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure.

The current study adds to the evidence on the health benefits of volunteering for adults 50 and older by inferring a potential causal link between high-intensity volunteering and reduced blood pressure.