ArticleThe journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences2021
Functional Limitations, Volunteering, and Diurnal Cortisol Patterns in Older Adults.
Article in The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Unconditional Quantile Regression Analysis of Volunteering and Cognitive Functioning: Implications for Cognitive Impairment and Dementia.American journal of preventive medicine · 2026Article
- Volunteering, chronic stress, and systemic inflammation among middle-aged and older adults.Psychoneuroendocrinology · 2025Article
- The Psychological Resilience of Older Adults Is Key to Their Independence in Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and Social Participation.Brain sciences · 2025Article
- Study protocol of the 'HEAL-HOA' dual randomized controlled trial: Testing the effects of volunteering on loneliness, social, and mental health in older adults.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2024Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesOlder adults often experience functional limitations that affect their everyday lives, but many of them continue to make positive contributions to society and benefit from these contributions themselves. We examine (a) whether older adults' functional limitations are associated with diurnal cortisol patterns and (b) whether these associations vary on volunteering days versus nonvolunteering days.
methodsParticipants were adults aged older than 60 years (N = 435) from the National Study of Daily Experiences, part of the Midlife in the United States Study. They completed an initial interview on functional limitations and background characteristics, indicated volunteering activities in daily interviews, and also provided salivary samples across 4 days.
resultsMultilevel models showed that older adults with greater functional limitations exhibited dysregulated cortisol awakening responses and diurnal cortisol slopes throughout the rest of the day, compared to older adults with lower limitations. Yet, we also observed a significant moderating effect of volunteering on these associations. DISCUSSION: This study advances our understanding of functional limitations and cortisol stress responses, revealing the benefits of volunteering to older adults who experience these limitations. Rather than treating these older adults solely as care recipients, interventions should offer them opportunities to help others.
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