title: Volunteer Work, Religious Commitment, and Resting Pulse Rates.
abstract: Research indicates that greater involvement in volunteer activities is associated with better health. We aim to contribute to this literature in two ways. First, rather than rely on self-reports of health, measured resting pulse rates serve as the dependent variable. Second, an effort is made to see if religious commitment moderates the relationship between volunteering and resting pulse rates. Data that come from a recent nationwide survey (N = 2265) suggest that volunteer work is associated with lower resting pulse rates. The results also reveal that the relationship between engaging in volunteer work and resting pulse rates improves among study participants who are more deeply committed to religion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2029, USA. nkrause@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.affiliation: University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ironson
authors.affiliation: Biola University, La Mirada, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D014838:Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Religious commitment; Resting pulse rates; Volunteering