Search results for ‘Subject term:"older people"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 1 of 1
Health outcomes of Experience Corps: a high-commitment volunteer program
- Authors:
- HONG S. I., MORROW-HOWELL Nancy
- Journal article citation:
- Social Science and Medicine, 71(2), July 2010, pp.414-420.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Experience Corps (EC) is a volunteer programme where older people are placed in public elementary schools in US cities to tutor children at risk of reading failure. This study examined a sample of 167 older (50+ years) volunteers, questioning them by telephone prior to their involvement (T1) and two years in (T2), and comparing them with matched groups from the US Health and Retirement Study (2004, 2006). Compared to the latter group, the EC group reported fewer depressive symptoms and functional limitations and there was a statistical trend towards reporting a lower decline in self-rated health over the two year period. These results, say the authors, add to the plethora of evidence supporting high intensity volunteering as a social model for health promotion in adults and older people. Activities such as student interactions, preparations for tutorials and ongoing training, involved cognitive activity. Social activities with school personnel and fellow volunteers, in and out of school, and the physical activities of travelling to and from school, up to three days a week and walking with students around school also contributed to the positive health outcomes observed.