MSB Medical School Berlin, Calandrelli Str. 1-9, 12147, Berlin, Germany.
The Education University of Hong Kong, 10 Lo Ping Rd, Tai Po, Hong Kong.
BMC Geriatr. 2019 Jan 24;19(1):22. doi: 10.1186/s12877-019-1034-1.
Volunteering could be a win-win opportunity for older adults: Links between volunteering and societal improvements as well as older adults' own health and longevity are found in several observational studies. RCTs to increase volunteering in older adults are however sparse, leaving the question of causality unanswered. This study protocol describes a theory-based social-cognitive intervention with multiple behavior change techniques to increase volunteering among community-dwelling older adults in Hong Kong.
In a parallel group, two-arm, randomized controlled trial, an initial N = 360 are assigned to receive either the volunteering intervention or the active control intervention (parallel content targeting physical activity). The primarily outcome measure is self-reported volunteering minutes per month at baseline, six weeks, three months and six months after the intervention. Participants in the treatment group are expected to increase their weekly volunteering minutes over time as compared to participants in the control group. Possible active ingredients of the intervention as well as mental and physical health outcomes of increased volunteering are investigated by means of mediation analyses.
Like many industrialized nations, Hong Kong faces a rapid demographic change. An effective psychological intervention to encourage retirees to engage in formal volunteering would alleviate some of the societal challenges a growing proportion of older adults entails.
Primary Registry and Trial Identifying Number ChiCTR-IIC-17010349 , secondary CCRB trial number CUHK_CCRB00543, registration date 2016/12/28.
志愿服务对于老年人来说可能是一个双赢的机会：多项观察性研究发现，志愿服务与社会改善以及老年人自身的健康和长寿之间存在联系。然而，增加老年人参与志愿服务的随机对照试验却很少，这使得因果关系问题未得到解答。本研究方案描述了一种基于理论的社会认知干预，采用多种行为改变技术，旨在增加香港社区居住的老年人的志愿服务。
在一项平行组、两臂、随机对照试验中，最初有 360 名参与者被分配接受志愿服务干预或积极对照组干预（针对体育活动的平行内容）。主要的结果衡量标准是干预前、六周、三个月和六个月后每月自我报告的志愿服务时间。与对照组相比，治疗组的参与者预计会随着时间的推移增加每周的志愿服务时间。通过中介分析，研究了干预的可能有效成分以及增加志愿服务对心理健康和身体健康的影响。
与许多工业化国家一样，香港面临着快速的人口结构变化。一种有效的心理干预措施，可以鼓励退休人员从事正式的志愿服务，将缓解越来越多的老年人所带来的一些社会挑战。
主要注册和试验识别编号 ChiCTR-IIC-17010349，二级 CCRB 试验编号 CUHK_CCRB00543，注册日期 2016 年 12 月 28 日。
