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How does volunteering affect the life satisfaction of older adults? Evidence from a national survey in China.

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Title: How does volunteering affect the life satisfaction of older adults? Evidence from a national survey in China.
Authors: Wu, Yuanyuan (AUTHOR), Cai, Meng (AUTHOR)
Source: Educational Gerontology. Jul2026, Vol. 52 Issue 7, p798-813. 16p.
Subjects: Volunteer service, Cross-sectional method, Scale analysis (Psychology), Satisfaction, Health status indicators, T-test (Statistics), Research funding, Retirement, Probability theory, Statistical sampling, Logistic regression analysis, Scientific observation, Psychological adaptation, Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, Longitudinal method, Paradigms (Social sciences), Volunteers, Research methodology, Factor analysis, Data analysis software, Psychosocial factors, Active aging, Agriculture, Educational attainment, Mental depression
Geographic Terms: China
Abstract: Life satisfaction is an essential outcome associated with successful aging, and volunteering offers a way to achieve it. This study aimed to explore the relationship and mechanism between volunteering and life satisfaction in the paradigm of successful aging. Using data from the 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 waves of the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey (CLASS), we employed ordered logit and ordinary least squares (OLS) models to estimate the association between volunteering and life satisfaction. The results showed a significant relationship between volunteering and higher life satisfaction. In particular, the life satisfaction benefits of volunteering were more pronounced among older adults with an agricultural hukou, fewer years of education, and retirees. To examine the robustness of the finding, we applied a quasi-experimental method – propensity score matching (PSM) to address potential selection bias in volunteering participation, and the results confirmed that the positive association between volunteering and life satisfaction remained robust. Moreover, using the KHB method to decompose the mediation effects, we found that physical health, depressive symptoms, and social adaptation all mediated the relationship between volunteering and life satisfaction, with social adaptation emerging as the most significant mediator. This research has important practical implications for actively promoting successful aging. Governments should provide political and economic support for older adults' participation in volunteer activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Educational Gerontology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: How does volunteering affect the life satisfaction of older adults? Evidence from a national survey in China.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wu%2C+Yuanyuan%22">Wu, Yuanyuan</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cai%2C+Meng%22">Cai, Meng</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Educational+Gerontology%22">Educational Gerontology</searchLink>. Jul2026, Vol. 52 Issue 7, p798-813. 16p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Volunteer+service%22">Volunteer service</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Cross-sectional+method%22">Cross-sectional method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scale+analysis+%28Psychology%29%22">Scale analysis (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Satisfaction%22">Satisfaction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+status+indicators%22">Health status indicators</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22T-test+%28Statistics%29%22">T-test (Statistics)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Retirement%22">Retirement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Probability+theory%22">Probability theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Statistical+sampling%22">Statistical sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Logistic+regression+analysis%22">Logistic regression analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scientific+observation%22">Scientific observation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+adaptation%22">Psychological adaptation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Descriptive+statistics%22">Descriptive statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Chi-squared+test%22">Chi-squared test</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Longitudinal+method%22">Longitudinal method</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Paradigms+%28Social+sciences%29%22">Paradigms (Social sciences)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Volunteers%22">Volunteers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+methodology%22">Research methodology</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Factor+analysis%22">Factor analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychosocial+factors%22">Psychosocial factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Active+aging%22">Active aging</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Agriculture%22">Agriculture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+attainment%22">Educational attainment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+depression%22">Mental depression</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22China%22">China</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Life satisfaction is an essential outcome associated with successful aging, and volunteering offers a way to achieve it. This study aimed to explore the relationship and mechanism between volunteering and life satisfaction in the paradigm of successful aging. Using data from the 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020 waves of the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey (CLASS), we employed ordered logit and ordinary least squares (OLS) models to estimate the association between volunteering and life satisfaction. The results showed a significant relationship between volunteering and higher life satisfaction. In particular, the life satisfaction benefits of volunteering were more pronounced among older adults with an agricultural hukou, fewer years of education, and retirees. To examine the robustness of the finding, we applied a quasi-experimental method – propensity score matching (PSM) to address potential selection bias in volunteering participation, and the results confirmed that the positive association between volunteering and life satisfaction remained robust. Moreover, using the KHB method to decompose the mediation effects, we found that physical health, depressive symptoms, and social adaptation all mediated the relationship between volunteering and life satisfaction, with social adaptation emerging as the most significant mediator. This research has important practical implications for actively promoting successful aging. Governments should provide political and economic support for older adults' participation in volunteer activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Educational Gerontology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/03601277.2025.2518164
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 798
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Volunteer service
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Cross-sectional method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scale analysis (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Satisfaction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health status indicators
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: T-test (Statistics)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Retirement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Probability theory
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Statistical sampling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Logistic regression analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scientific observation
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      – SubjectFull: Psychological adaptation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Descriptive statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Chi-squared test
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Longitudinal method
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Paradigms (Social sciences)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Volunteers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Factor analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
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      – SubjectFull: Psychosocial factors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Active aging
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Agriculture
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational attainment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental depression
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: China
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: How does volunteering affect the life satisfaction of older adults? Evidence from a national survey in China.
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            NameFull: Wu, Yuanyuan
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              M: 07
              Text: Jul2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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