Meaningful voluntary work design and dual pathways for healthy aging (MVP-HA): a cross-sectional and mixed-methods study in Hong Kong.

OBJECTIVES

Volunteering supports healthy aging. However, research has largely examined its health benefits rather than how volunteer work design shapes healthy aging. This study introduces and validates the meaningful voluntary work design and dual pathways for healthy aging (MVP-HA) framework, exploring how volunteer work characteristics (VWCs) relate to subjective well-being (SWB) and cognition via two pathways: quality (role engagement) and quantity (volunteering hours) of volunteering. It also assesses whether sociodemographic factors moderate these relationships.

METHODS

Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, cross-sectional data were collected from 457 adults aged 60+ in Hong Kong (2023-2024), in addition to seven focus groups involving 46 older adults. VWCs (e.g., skill variety, task significance, feedback, social support, and recognition) were measured using the adapted Work Design Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Path analysis revealed that recognition (β = 0.22, p < .001) and social support (β = 0.14, p < .05) were positively associated with SWB, whereas VWC did not directly relate to cognition. Task significance, social support, and recognition influenced SWB via role engagement, whereas volunteering hours mediated associations between skill variety, feedback, and recognition, and cognition. Age, gender, education, and income moderated these mediating effects. Qualitative findings contextualized meaningful VWCs in late-life volunteering, including emotional task meaningfulness, prosocial vitality growth, co-productive ownership, social support, and organizational recognition.

DISCUSSION: Our findings advance literature by showing that health benefits require intentional role design and vary across sociodemographic contexts. Our framework offers policy implications for optimizing the design of volunteering for healthy aging.