%0 Journal Article %J J Aging Health %D 2011 %T Volunteering and hypertension risk in later life. %A Jeffrey A Burr %A Jane Tavares %A Jan E Mutchler %K Aged %K Aged, 80 and over %K Body Mass Index %K Confidence Intervals %K Female %K Health Behavior %K health policy %K Health Status %K Humans %K Hypertension %K Male %K Middle Aged %K Multivariate Analysis %K Odds Ratio %K Psychometrics %K Regression Analysis %K Risk Factors %K Social Support %K Surveys and Questionnaires %K Volunteers %X

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relationship between volunteer activity and hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, renal failure, and cognitive impairment.

METHOD: Employing data from the Health and Retirement Study, we estimated regression models of hypertension status that include volunteer activity and psychosocial and health behavior risk factors for middle-aged and older persons.

RESULTS: Multivariate analyses showed volunteers had lower hypertension risk and lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure than nonvolunteers and that a threshold effect was present, whereby a modest amount of volunteer time commitment (but not a high amount) was associated with lower risk of hypertension. We did neither find support that psychosocial and health behaviors mediated this relationship nor find support for a moderating effect of volunteering for the relationships among health behaviors and hypertension.

DISCUSSION: The results of this study indicate that research is needed to determine what mediates the relationship between volunteering and hypertension.

%B J Aging Health %I 23 %V 23 %P 24-51 %8 2011 Feb %G eng %N 1 %L newpubs20110418_Burr.pdf %1 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20971920?dopt=Abstract %3 20971920 %4 Volunteers/Hypertension/Risk factors/Cardiovascular disease/Aging/Geriatrics/Older people %$ 24820 %R 10.1177/0898264310388272