Volunteering and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Does Helping Others Get “Under the Skin?”

Abstract

Purpose of the Study:

This study investigated whether volunteering was related to 5 risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among middle-aged and older adults.

Design and Methods:

Data from the 2004 and 2006 waves of the Health and Retirement Study ( N = 7,803) were examined. Logistic regression was used to describe the relationships among volunteering and central adiposity, hypertension, lipid dysregulation, elevated blood glucose levels, and high inflammation, along with 2 indexes of the MetS.

Results:

Among middle-aged adults, results showed that volunteers were less likely to have high central adiposity, lipid dysregulation, elevated blood glucose levels, and MetS compared with non-volunteers. For older adults, results showed volunteers were less likely to be hypertensive and more likely to have lipid dysregulation than their non-volunteer counterparts.

Implications:

These results supported findings from other studies that formal volunteering is beneficial for middle-aged adults, and to a lesser degree, older adults. Further research is required to determine what factors may mediate the volunteer–CVD risk relationships.

Metabolic syndrome, Inflammation, Volunteer hours, Health and Retirement Study, Social engagement, CVD, Volunteerism and civic engagement, Social support, Health