Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 13, 2025
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Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
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Health Outcomes of an Intergenerational Tutoring Program
Peter C Sun1, Nancy Morrow-Howell1,2, Mary V Click3
1Brown School, Washington University in St Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA.
Research on Aging
|July 29, 2025
Summary
Volunteering, particularly the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program, benefits older adults by reducing depression and functional limitations. This study confirms positive associations between senior volunteering and improved health outcomes post-pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Social Determinants of Health
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many activities, including volunteering, impacting older adults.
- Understanding the sustained health benefits of volunteering for seniors in a post-pandemic world is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program on older adults' health.
- To determine if volunteering's positive association with health persists post-pandemic.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed Oasis tutors (aged 51+) before and after two years of volunteering.
- Matched tutors with non-volunteers from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (N=518).
- Employed G-computation to analyze effects on depression, functional limitations, and self-rated health.
Main Results:
- Oasis tutors consistently showed lower depression and fewer functional limitations compared to non-volunteers.
- Nearest-neighbor matching indicated better self-rated health among Oasis tutors.
- The Oasis program demonstrated a positive association with older adults' health.
Conclusions:
- The Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program positively influences older adults' health outcomes.
- Findings support the social model of health promotion, highlighting volunteering's role.
- Volunteering remains a viable strategy for enhancing senior well-being.
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