Volunteering is Good for your Health

Volunteering is Good for your Health

Research shows daring to volunteer is good for your health

According to scientific studies done at the University of British Columbia, to volunteer not only improves the community, it also is helpful for physical and mental health of people who get involved. . “Another motivation to work toward a better world!” said Alberto Rivera a volunteer with Dare to Care for the Homeless in Paramount California.

Volunteering is not only good for our mental health, it also benefits the heart, according to research conducted by scientists from the Faculty of Education and the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver (Canada) and published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics. The website www.d2c4h.org published these studies as researchers sought to find out how volunteering affects the well being of humans. This study done by author Hannah Schreier, revealed that volunteering benefits cardiovascular health. It is wonderful to see how social participation to support society also improves the health of young people," said Schreier, who performed this research during her doctoral studies at UBC.

This conclusion was supported by, analyzed secondary students from Vancouver city divided into a pair of groups, one volunteer activities performed for ten weeks, and another who was on the waiting list to volunteer. Scientists measured the body mass index (BMI), inflammation and cholesterol levels prior to as well as after the research, in addition to assessing self-esteem, mental health, humor and empathy of the youth. The participating group, who spent an hour a week doing voluntary involvement with elementary school children in the neighborhood school, after ten weeks displayed lower levels of cholesterol
and inflammation and lower BMI as compared to those on the list waiting for volunteering. "The volunteers who reported the largest increases empathy, altruistic behavior and mental health were also reported greater improvements in cardiovascular health," said Schreier, School of Medicine, Icahn at Mount Sinai in New York (United States). Prior studies demonstrated that psychosocial factors such as stress, depression and well-being, have an effect on cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in North America.
Senior citizens who volunteer to help improve their community are less depressed, have a better quality of life and are happier with their lives as a result.

Written by: Jose Rodriguez​
​Homeless Advocate from Long Beach California