Volunteering characteristics, social support, and successful aging: Mediation effects of volunteer satisfaction and gender differences
S. W. Lee, J. H. Lee
Full text PDF 
( Download count: 302)
AbstractOne of the representative social activities that affects successful aging is volunteer work. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of volunteer activity characteristics and social support on successful aging and the mediating effects of volunteer satisfaction and gender differences, along with the relationships among these variables. The characteristics of volunteer activities consists of the number of monthly hours and the level of motivation to participate. Existing studies (Kim & Choi, 2012; Lee, 2009) found that the frequency of volunteering and the motivation to participate influenced the volunteer satisfaction of older adults. Hwang (2010) revealed that volunteer satisfaction was positively associated with successful aging. Social support has also been found to be positively related to both volunteer satisfaction (Moon, 2015) and successful aging (Gyasi & Phillips, 2020). Based on these findings, volunteer satisfaction is expected to play a mediating role in the relationship between volunteering characteristics and successful aging. Meanwhile, elderly males and females with different life courses may have a gap in terms of volunteering and social support. These gender differences can have a significant effect on successful aging. Furthermore, volunteer satisfaction can differ depending on social network size and the degree of social support, which in turn directly or indirectly affect successful aging. Another purpose of this study is to help make policies and practical recommendations to improve volunteer satisfaction through technology (smart phones, Internet, ICT) for both males and females.Keywords: volunteering of older adults, social support, volunteer satisfaction, successful aging, gender differences
S. W. Lee, J. H. Lee (2022). Volunteering characteristics, social support, and successful aging: Mediation effects of volunteer satisfaction and gender differences. Gerontechnology, 21(s),1-1
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2022.21.s.775.opp7