Reducing Hypertension Through Volunteering? Investigating the Potential Causal Link Between Volunteering Frequency and Blood Pressure by Gender, Race, and Age Groups.

OBJECTIVE: This project examined the relationship between volunteering and changes in systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure by gender, race, and age groups as potential effect modifiers.

METHODS: Using the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2016, N = 18,847), this study assessed the link between volunteering and blood pressure within each stratum of gender, race/ethnicity, and age groups. The combined effects of volunteering and each of the effect modifiers are estimated by the relative excess risk due to interaction and ratio of prevalence ratios (PRs).

RESULTS: Individuals volunteering 201+ hours annually had a lower likelihood of clinically high DBP (PR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.72, 0.98, p = .042) and SBP (PR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.97, 0.99, p = .038). Moderate level of volunteering was predictive of low SBP. The combination of volunteering 201+ hours and being female was protective against high DBP (relative excess risk due to interaction = -0.09, 95% CI = -0.13, -0.03, p = .026).

CONCLUSIONS: Given the effect modification, frequent volunteering has an anti-hypertensive effect for the general population of adults 50 and older.