Volunteering linked to longer life
Volunteering may be a path to longer life as Americans age, according to a new study, presented at American Geriatrics Society’s meeting in Chicago.
Dr Sei J Lee and colleagues at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center and University of California in San Francisco, found that by participating in volunteer activities, retirees effectively reduced the likelihood of death over a four-year period.
Researchers studied 6,360 retirees who were over the age of 65 and were enrolled in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in 2002.
Launched in 1992, the HRS surveys more than 22,000 Americans over the age of 50 each year to gauge the physical and mental health of the aging and retired population. The study takes into account the impact of insurance coverage, financial status, family support systems, labor market status, as well as retirement planning in reaching its conclusions.
In questioning women with an average age of 78, the researchers found a strong link between volunteering and lower rates of death. They noted that 12% of 1,766 volunteers died by 2006, compared to 26% of 4,594 who had not taken part in volunteer efforts.
