Community volunteer participation and its determinants during respiratory infectious disease outbreaks in China: A cross-sectional study across multiple provinces.

BACKGROUND

Community volunteering plays a crucial role in strengthening public health emergency response, particularly during respiratory infectious disease outbreaks. However, limited research has examined the extent of resident participation and the factors influencing engagement in such efforts. This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of community volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic and other respiratory infectious disease outbreaks in China.

METHOD: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey and included data from 1,023 residents residing in five provinces in China (Beijing, Guangdong, Heilongjiang, Hubei, and Yunnan) between early 2020 and March 2023. Participants reported their sociodemographic factors, volunteer activities, related motivations and barriers during the pandemic. We used logistic regression models to identify factors associated with volunteering.

RESULTS

Of the respondents, 65.9% participated in community volunteering during the pandemic, with the most common roles related to nucleic acid testing. The primary motivation for volunteering was value expression. Main barriers to participation included a lack of time, limited professional skills, and concerns about the risk of infection. Higher odds of participation were observed among respondents who held at least a bachelor's degree (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI: 1.21-5.48), worked in community (AOR = 4.32, 95% CI: 2.56-7.28) or health‑care roles (AOR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.31-4.67), were Communist Party members (AOR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.07-2.64), or had volunteered regularly before 2020 (AOR = 3.02, 95% CI: 2.51-3.64), while single/divorced/widowed individuals had lower odds of participation (AOR = 0.60, 95% CI: 0.39-0.94) (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Community volunteering could constitute a substantial auxiliary workforce during respiratory epidemics in China. Integrating volunteers into emergency preparedness may require institutionalized training programs, transparent management structures, as well as legal and policy safeguards that recognize volunteers' contributions and mitigate perceived risks. Such measures are likely to strengthen community resilience in future public‑health emergencies.