Do good, feel good: Singapore survey shows benefits of volunteering

People who do voluntary work feel better about their quality of life than others, according to a survey of almost 3,000 elderly Singaporeans.

The study, by a team from Duke-NUS Medical School and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), found that people who volunteer "feel more supported by their social networks, which in turn leads to an improvement in their quality of life."

"Older adults who volunteer regularly in a formal setting also feel more confident in their ability to direct their own lives and make an impact on others," said Shannon Ang, assistant professor of sociology at NTU.

The team used data from the Transitions in Health, Employment, Social Engagement and Inter-Generational Transfers in Singapore, or SIGNS Study - surveys done in 2016, 2017 and 2019 of 2,887 Singaporeans aged 60 and up by Duke-NUS Medical School, a Singapore-based collaboration between Duke University in the US and the National University of Singapore (NUS). The findings were published in the Journal of Gerontology.

The researchers said the survey results show how volunteering "may provide alternative avenues of perceived support for older adults, beyond co-residing family members" - something they feel could be "especially important" elsewhere in Asia, where elderly people often rely on family for financial support.

However, many wealthier Asian societies are aging as populations shrink. Smaller families mean that older people in future "may have to supplement support from immediate family with support from alternative sources," the researchers said, warning that "sole reliance on co-residing family for support in later life may become unsustainable."