title: A randomized controlled trial to promote volunteering in older adults.
abstract: Volunteering is presumed to confer health benefits, but interventions to encourage older adults to volunteer are sparse. Therefore, a randomized controlled trial with 280 community-dwelling older German adults was conducted to test the effects of a theory-based social-cognitive intervention against a passive waiting-list control group and an active control intervention designed to motivate physical activity. Self-reports of weekly volunteering minutes were assessed at baseline (5 weeks before the intervention) as well as 2 and 6 weeks after the intervention. Participants in the treatment group increased their weekly volunteering minutes to a greater extent than participants in the control groups 6 weeks after the intervention. We conclude that a single, face-to-face group session can increase volunteering among older community-dwelling adults. However, the effects need some time to unfold because changes in volunteering were not apparent 2 weeks after the intervention.
authors.affiliation: German Centre of Gerontology.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Warner
authors.affiliation: German Centre of Gerontology.
authors.forename: Julia K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.affiliation: German Centre of Gerontology.
authors.forename: Jochen P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Ziegelmann
authors.affiliation: German Centre of Gerontology.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wurm
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D013997:Time Factors; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*