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. |
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| 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] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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