Keefer Anne, Steichele Kathrin, Graessel Elmar, Prokosch Hans-Ulrich, Kolominsky-Rabas Peter L
Interdisciplinary Center for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Public Health (IZPH), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Health Services Research in Medicine, Uniklinik Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
J Multidiscip Healthc. 2023 Apr 25;16:1097-1109. doi: 10.2147/JMDH.S404880. eCollection 2023.
There is a need for knowledge on activities that can reduce cognitive decline and dementia risk. Volunteering is a productive activity that entails social, physical, and cognitive functions. Therefore, volunteering could be a protective factor for cognitive loss. Thus, this review aims to examine the associations between volunteering and volunteers' cognition and to identify influencing variables.
Six international literature databases were searched for relevant articles published between 2017 and 2021 (ALOIS, CENTRAL, CINAL, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed). Quantitative studies of all study designs were included. The primary outcome was the volunteers' cognition measured by objective, internationally established psychometric function tests. Two authors independently assessed the eligibility and quality of the studies. A narrative synthesis was performed using all studies included in this review. The methodology was in line with the PRISMA guidelines.
Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included. Seven of the included studies confirmed that volunteering positively affects the volunteers' cognitive function. Two other studies identified an association between volunteer activity and volunteers' cognition using cross-sectional measurements. In particular, women and people with a low level of education benefit from the positive effects and associations. The study quality of the included articles was moderate to weak.
Our review suggests that volunteering can improve volunteers' cognition. Unfortunately, little attention is given to specific volunteer activities and the frequency of engagement. Additionally, more attention is needed on various risk factors of cognitive impairment.
对于能够降低认知衰退和痴呆风险的活动，人们需要相关知识。志愿服务是一项涉及社交、身体和认知功能的有益活动。因此，志愿服务可能是认知能力丧失的一个保护因素。因此，本综述旨在研究志愿服务与志愿者认知之间的关联，并确定影响变量。
检索了六个国际文献数据库，以查找2017年至2021年期间发表的相关文章（ALOIS、CENTRAL、CINAL、Embase、PsycINFO、PubMed）。纳入了所有研究设计的定量研究。主要结果是通过客观的、国际认可的心理测量功能测试来衡量志愿者的认知。两位作者独立评估了研究的 eligibility 和质量。使用本综述中纳入的所有研究进行了叙述性综合分析。该方法符合PRISMA指南。
十四项研究符合纳入标准并被纳入。其中七项研究证实志愿服务对志愿者的认知功能有积极影响。另外两项研究通过横断面测量确定了志愿活动与志愿者认知之间的关联。特别是，女性和低教育水平的人从这些积极影响和关联中受益。纳入文章的研究质量中等至较差。
我们的综述表明志愿服务可以改善志愿者的认知。不幸的是，很少有人关注具体的志愿活动和参与频率。此外，需要更多关注认知障碍的各种风险因素。
