Comparison of Older Volunteers and Older Nonvolunteers in the Philadelphia Area, 1993-1998

This research was undertaken to uncover the predictors of volunteerism for older persons and to determine the mental health benefits of such activity. The study was conducted from August 1993 until July 1998 in the greater Philadelphia area. A sample of White and African American males and females aged 65 and older were chosen for the study. For the study, four types of volunteer activity were developed. The first two types were "continuous volunteers," those who volunteer throughout the life course, and "continuous nonvolunteers," those who never volunteered. The third type, the "new volunteer," is a person who never volunteered earlier in life but has begun volunteering in later years, most probably as a substitute for lost work or family roles. The last type is the "lost volunteer," the person who once participated in volunteer activities but now has withdrawn from the role. Structural factors included age and income. Cultural factors included perceived importance and past volunteer activity. Perceived importance included level of agreement to a series of five statements such as, "People with unused skills and talents should make use of them by doing volunteer work," and "Volunteer work is essential to meet the communitys' needs." These items were developed specifically for use by persons aged 65 and older. In order to determine past volunteer behavior, a composite measure was created which included any prior volunteer behavior mentioned by both the current volunteers and those currently not volunteering, as well as including any volunteer work of the current volunteers that was a continuation of prior work.