The impact of volunteering on cognition and cognitive decline in older diverse cohorts: KHANDLE and STAR

Volunteering is linked to cognitive benefits in aging, but evidence in diverse populations is limited.

We examined volunteering and cognition in Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences Study/Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans participants (N = 2789) with unimpaired cognition at baseline. Volunteering and frequency of volunteering in the past year at baseline were self-reported, and cognition (executive function [EF], verbal episodic memory [VEM]) was assessed with the Spanish and English Neuropsychological Assessment Scale across 4 waves (range of follow-up: 2-6 years). Linear mixed-effect models adjusted for demographics.

Participants were 73.8 ± 7.8 years on average; 62% women; 45% Black, 21% White, 18% Asian, and 17% Hispanic/Latin(x); and 47% reported volunteering. Volunteers had higher baseline EF and VEM than non-volunteers, with the largest gains among those volunteering a few times per week. Volunteering was not associated with rates of cognitive decline.

Volunteering was associated with better baseline cognition but not slower decline, suggesting immediate cognitive benefits for racially and ethnically diverse older adults.

Kaiser Healthy Aging and Diverse Life Experiences Study and Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans are a racially/ethnically diverse cohort (18% Asian, 47% Black, 17% Latin[x], 21% White) reporting volunteering within 12 months prior to baseline. Late-life (55+ years) volunteering is associated with better executive function (β = 0.173, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.114-0.232) and verbal episodic memory (β = 0.132, 95% CI: 0.071-0.192) after adjusting for age, gender/sex, education, race/ethnicity, instrumental activities of daily living, and self-rated health. Volunteering in late life, a few times per week, is associated with the highest magnitude of executive function (β = 0.216, 95% CI: 0.128-0.305) and once per week with verbal episodic memory (β = 0.189, 95% CI: 0.082-0.297) versus no volunteering, but the magnitude did not increase with more frequent volunteering. Those who volunteered had similar domain-specific cognitive decline compared to those who did not.