Kim Seoyoun, Ferraro Kenneth F
Center on Aging and the Life Course and Department of Sociology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.
Gerontologist. 2014 Oct;54(5):830-9. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnt090. Epub 2013 Aug 22.
The study investigates whether productive activities by older adults reduce bodily inflammation, as indicated by C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomeasure associated with the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The study uses a representative survey of adults aged 57-85 from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (N = 1,790). Linear regression models were used to analyze the effects of multiple roles (employment, volunteering, attending meetings, and caregiving) and the frequency of activity within each role on log values of CRP concentration (mg/L) drawn from assayed blood samples.
Number of roles for productive activities was associated with lower levels of CRP net of chronic conditions, lifestyle factors, and socioeconomic resources. When specific types of activity were examined, volunteering manifested the strongest association with lower levels of inflammation, particularly in the 70+ group. There was no evidence that frequent engagement in volunteer activity was associated with heightened inflammation.
Productive activities-and frequent volunteering in particular-may protect individuals from inflammation that is associated with increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
本研究旨在调查老年人的生产性活动是否会降低身体炎症水平，这通过C反应蛋白（CRP）来体现，CRP是一种与心血管疾病风险相关的生物指标。
该研究采用了来自国家社会生活、健康与老龄化项目的57至85岁成年人的代表性调查样本（N = 1790）。使用线性回归模型来分析多种角色（就业、志愿服务、参加会议和照顾他人）以及每个角色内的活动频率对从检测血样中得出的CRP浓度（mg/L）对数的影响。
在排除慢性病、生活方式因素和社会经济资源的影响后，生产性活动的角色数量与较低的CRP水平相关。当研究特定类型的活动时，志愿服务与较低的炎症水平表现出最强的关联，尤其是在70岁及以上人群中。没有证据表明频繁参与志愿活动会导致炎症加剧。
生产性活动，尤其是频繁的志愿服务，可能会保护个体免受与高血压和心血管疾病风险增加相关的炎症影响。
