[Relationships between volunteerism and social-physical health and QOL with community-dwelling elderly participating in a long-term care prevention programme].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to clarify the influence of volunteerism as part of a long-term care prevention program on social and physical health indicators and QOL, as compared with non-participation among elderly people.


METHODS
The baseline survey was conducted in 2003 among elderly people (age, 70-84 years) living in a rural community in Miyagi Prefecture. We recruited elderly volunteer leaders for long-term care prevention from among the 1,503 elderly people participating in the baseline survey. Of these, 77 individuals were registered as volunteer leaders. One year later, we conducted a follow-up survey to clarify the influence of volunteerism. Finally, we analyzed data for 69 volunteer leaders and 1,207 non-leaders, focusing on influences of volunteerism on social and physical health and QOL using a logistic regression model. State of volunteer activity was treated as a dependent variable, and social and physical health indicators and QOL indices as independent variables.


RESULTS
Non-participating individuals had significant declines in Intellectual Activity (OR: 4.51, 95% CI: 1.60-12.74), Social Role (OR: 2.85, 95%CI: 1.11-7.21), Self-efficacy for ADL (OR: 4.58, 95%CI: 1.11-18.88), Satisfaction with Economic State (OR: 2.83, 95%CI: 1.11-7.21), and Contact with Neighbors (OR: 3.62, 95%CI: 1.29-10.16), as compared with volunteers.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that volunteerism prevents lowering of higher-level functional capacity and social networking among community-dwelling elderly individuals.
Shimanuki
Hideki
H
Department of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University.
Honda
Haruhiko
H
Ito
Tsunehisa
T
Kasai
Toshiyuki
T
Takato
Jinro
J
Sakamoto
Yuzuru
Y
Inuzuka
Go
G
Ito
Yuzuki
Y
Arayama
Naoko
N
Ueki
Shouzoh
S
Haga
Hiroshi
H
D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012919:Social Behavior; D014838:Volunteers