Understanding the characteristics of older adult volunteers sustainability

Project Summary

All community programs depend on volunteers, and anyone can be a volunteer. Seniors represent a significant demographic that is actively engaged in volunteer work. Although some research has identified the characteristics of volunteers, less is known about what motivates someone to engage consistently over time. This project aims to identify the characteristics of individuals aged 50+ who report long-term volunteer involvement. This will be studied through the Canadian Study on Longitudinal Study from baseline to 2021 (three timepoints). We will also investigate whether the characteristics of long-term volunteer involvement differ from those of intermittent involvement and the characteristics of individuals consistently engaging in a high volume of volunteer work (at least once per week or throughout the entire follow-up period). The studied characteristics will be sociodemographic, environmental, lifestyle, physical function, and health status predictors of volunteers.