Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-wxhwt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-11T01:30:38.499Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Volunteering among Older Adults and Effects of Ethnic Minority Status before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Analyses of the CLSA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 May 2024

Eireann O’Dea Open the ORCID record for Eireann O’Dea [Opens in a new window] ,
Andrew Wister Open the ORCID record for Andrew Wister [Opens in a new window] ,
Lun Li ,
Sarah L. Canham  and
Barbara Mitchell Open the ORCID record for Barbara Mitchell [Opens in a new window]
Eireann O’Dea*
Affiliation:
Gerontology Department, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Andrew Wister
Affiliation:
Gerontology Department, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada Gerontology Research Centre, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Lun Li
Affiliation:
Department of Social Work, MacEwan University, Robbins Health Learning Centre, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Sarah L. Canham
Affiliation:
College of Social Work, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Barbara Mitchell
Affiliation:
Gerontology Department, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada Department of Sociology/Anthropology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
*
Corresponding author: La correspondance et les demandes de tirésàpart doivent être adressées à:/Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Eireann O’Dea, Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University, 2800 Harbour Centre, 5151 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 5K3, Canada (eireanno@sfu.ca).
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges to older adults in Canada, including the ability to volunteer. The purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of the social context surrounding volunteering in Canada, by (a) determining changes in associations between human, social, and cultural capital and volunteering among older adults; and (b) examining the relationship between ethnic minority status and volunteering, using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), collected prior to and during the pandemic. This study utilized data from 24,306 CLSA Baseline, Follow-up 1 (FUP1), and COVID-19 Baseline Survey participants (aged 55+). Results confirm a decrease in volunteering during the early stages of the pandemic. Compared to pre-pandemic associations, volunteers during the early stages of the pandemic were more likely to be young–old, male, employed, and not involved in religious activities. Findings provide evidence of pandemic effects on volunteering among older adults in Canada.

Résumé

Résumé

La pandémie de COVID-19 a confronté les personnes âgées à de nombreux défis au Canada, et a notamment restreint leur capacité de faire du bénévolat. Cette étude a pour objet d’améliorer la compréhension du contexte social dans lequel s’inscrit le bénévolat au Canada, en : a) déterminant l’évolution des liens entre le capital humain, social et culturel et le bénévolat chez les personnes âgées, et b) examinant les relations entre le statut de membre d’une minorité ethnique et le bénévolat, à l’aide de données recueillies par l’Étude longitudinale canadienne sur le vieillissement (ÉLCV) avant et pendant la pandémie. La présente étude a utilisé les données recueillies auprès de 24 306 participants au sondage de référence et de suivi initial de l’ÉLCV et au sondage de référence de l’ÉCLV sur la COVID-19 (âgés de 55 ans et plus). Les résultats confirment une baisse du bénévolat au cours des premiers stades de la pandémie. Par rapport aux liens établis avant la pandémie, les bénévoles actifs pendant la pandémie étaient en majorité des hommes de tous âges qui étaient employés et ne participaient pas à des activités religieuses. Les résultats confirment par des preuves l’incidence de la pandémie sur la pratique du bénévolat chez les personnes âgées au Canada.

Keywords

COVID-19CLSAVolunteeringAgingCanadaCOVID-19ÉCLVbénévolat
Type
Article
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , First View , pp. 1 - 12
Check for updates
Copyright
© Canadian Association on Gerontology 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alvarez, E. C., Kawachi, I., & Romani, J. R. (2017). Family social capital and health: A systematic review and redirection. Sociology of Health & Illness, 39(1), 5–29. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12506CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beel, D., & Wallace, C. (2020). Gathering together: social capital, cultural capital and the value of cultural heritage in a digital age. Social & Cultural Geography, 21(5), 697–717. https://doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2018.1500632CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bower, K. L., Lewis, D. C., Bermúdez, J. M., & Singh, A. A. (2021). Narratives of generativity and resilience among LGBT older adults: Leaving positive legacies despite social stigma and collective trauma. Journal of Homosexuality, 68(2), 230–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2019.1648082CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burr, J. A., Mutchler, J. E., & Han, S. H. (2021). Volunteering and health in later life. In Ferraro, K. F. & Carr, D. (Eds.), Handbook of aging and the social sciences (9th ed., pp. 303–319). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815970-5.00019-XCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cabot, J., & Bushnik, T. (2022). Compliance with precautions to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Canada. Health Reports, 33(9), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x202200900001-engGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cao, Q. (2022). A mixed-methods study on the social networks and loneliness of low-income diverse older volunteers. The Ohio State University. Retrieved from: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1655836051071162.Google Scholar
Chang, M. (2022). Comparative study on volunteering among older Korean immigrants in the United States and older Koreans in South Korea. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(12), 7297. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127297CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Choi, N. G., & Chou, R. J. A. (2010). Time and money volunteering among older adults: the relationship between past and current volunteering and correlates of change and stability. Ageing & Society, 30(4), 559–581. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X0999064XCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colibaba, A., Skinner, M. W., & Russell, E. (2021). Rural aging during COVID-19: A case study of older voluntarism. Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 40(4), 581–590. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980821000386CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cramm, J. M., & Nieboer, A. P. (2015). Background characteristics, resources and volunteering among older adults (aged≥ 70 years) in the community: A longitudinal study. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 15(8), 1087–1095. https://doi.org/10.1111/ggi.12404CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donizzetti, A. R., & Capone, V. (2023). Ageism and the pandemic: Risk and protective factors of well-being in older people. Geriatrics, 8(1), 14. https://doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics8010014.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Employment and Social Development Canada. (2022). A case study on ageism during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/seniors/forum/reports/ageism-covid19.html.Google Scholar
Fan, W., & Moen, P. (2023). Ongoing remote work, returning to working at work, or in between during COVID-19: What promotes subjective well-being? Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 64(1), 152–171. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221465221150283CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gruenewald, T. L., Liao, D. H., & Seeman, T. E. (2012). Contributing to others, contributing to oneself: Perceptions of generativity and health in later life. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 67(6), 660–665.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hou, F., & Ngo, A. (2021). Differences in living arrangements of older seniors by mother tongue. Statistics Canada. Retrieved from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/36-28-0001/2021005/article/00003-eng.htm.Google Scholar
Jongenelis, M. I., Dana, L. M., Warburton, J., Jackson, B., Newton, R. U., Talati, Z., & Pettigrew, S. (2020). Factors associated with formal volunteering among retirees. European Journal of Ageing, 17, 229–239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-019-00539-5CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnston, J. B. (2013). Religion and volunteering over the adult life course. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 52(4), 733–752.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Khvorostianov, N., & Remennick, L. (2017). ‘By helping others, we helped ourselves:’ Volunteering and social integration of ex-soviet immigrants in Israel. VOLUNTAS: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations, 28, 335–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-016-9745-9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kotre, J. N. (1984). Outliving the self: Generativity and the interpretation of lives. Johns Hopkins University Press.Google Scholar
Levy, BR (2022). The role of structural ageism in age beliefs and health of older persons. JAMA Network Open, 5(2):e2147802. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.47802CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mahmood, F., Acharya, D., Kumar, K., & Paudyal, V. (2021). Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ethnic minority communities: a qualitative study on the perspectives of ethnic minority community leaders. BMJ Open, 11, e050584. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050584CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, E.. (2021) Shining a spotlight: The ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic for older adults, Journal of Aging & Social Policy, 33(4–5), 305–319. https://doi.org/10.1080/08959420.2021.1973343CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morales, D. R., & Ali, S. N. (2021). COVID-19 and disparities affecting ethnic minorities. The Lancet, 397(10286), 1684–1685. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00949-1CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morrow-Howell, N., Gonzales, E., Matz-Costa, C., & Greenfield, E. A. (2015). Increasing productive engagement in later life. American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.Google Scholar
Musick, M. A., & Wilson, J. (2007). Volunteers: A social profile. Indiana University Press.Google Scholar
O’Dea, E., Wister, A., & Canham, S. L. (2023). Cultural generativity in perspective: Motivations of older Jewish volunteers. Ageing & Society, 43(1), 203–221. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X21000477CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Overgaard, C., Petrovski, E., & Hermansen, J. (2018). Volunteer care workers: A case for challenging resource theories on volunteering. Journal of Civil Society, 14(2), 153–172. https://doi.org/10.1080/17448689.2018.1464708CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raina, P., Wolfson, C., Kirkland, S. A., Griffith, L. E., Oremus, M., Patterson, C., Tuokko, H., Hogan, D., Wister, A., Payette, H., Brazil, K., & Shannon, H. (2009). The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Canadian Journal on Aging, 28(3), 221–229, Special Issue on the CLSA. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980809990055CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sin, N. L., Klaiber, P., Wen, J. H., & DeLongis, A. (2021). Helping amid the pandemic: Daily affective and social implications of COVID-19-related prosocial activities. The Gerontologist, 61(1), 59–70. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaa140CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skoss, M., Batten, R., Cain, P., & Stanley, M. (2022). Vulnerable, recalcitrant and resilient: A Foucauldian discourse analysis of risk and older people within the context of COVID-19 news media. Ageing & Society, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X22000897CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistics Canada. (2022). Volunteers and challenges businesses face in volunteer recruitment and retention, fourth quarter of 2022. Retrieved from: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3310061701.Google Scholar
Tai, D. B. G., Shah, A., Doubeni, C. A., Sia, I. G., & Wieland, M. L. (2021). The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. Clinical infectious diseases, 72(4), 703–706.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
United Way of British Columbia. (2020). Safe seniors, strong communities. Healthy Aging Core. Retrieved from: https://bc.healthyagingcore.ca/resources/report-safe-seniors-strong-communities-6-month-summary-march-27-september-30-2020.Google Scholar
Villar, F., Serrat, R., & Pratt, M. W. (2021). Older age as a time to contribute: A scoping review of generativity in later life. Ageing & Society, 43(8), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X21001379Google Scholar
Volunteer Canada. (2021). The volunteering lens of COVID-19: Fall 2020 survey. Retrieved from: https://volunteer.ca/vdemo/ResearchAndResources_DOCS/Vol%20Lens%202020%20Survey%20Results/Vol%20Lens%20of%20COVID%2019%20Fall%202020%20Survey%20EN.pdf.Google Scholar
West, B. T. (2009). Analyzing longitudinal data with the linear mixed models procedure in SPSS. Evaluation & the Health Professions, 32(3), 207–228.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilson, J., & Musick, M. (1997). Who cares? Toward an integrated theory of volunteer work. American Sociological Review, 62(5), 694–713.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, J., & Son, J. (2018). The connection between neighboring and volunteering. City & Community, 17(3), 720–736. https://doi.org/10.1111/cico.12324CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wister, A., & Kadowaki, L. (2021). Social isolation among older adults during the pandemic. Employment and Social Development Canada. Retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/seniors/forum/reports/covid19-social-isolation.html.Google Scholar