Table 1 Characteristics of included studies

Ajrouch et al. [18]

SRHLC^e

USA^f

Adults aged ≥50 y

53,9

N.R.^g

50-100

60,3

1992

13

2

Volunteering {No vs. Yes}

“Do you do any volunteering?”

Mixed

499

N.R.

32,3

Bartels et al. [19]

BHPS^h

UKⁱ

Employed individuals aged ≤60 y

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

1991

16

11

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

Volunteering is measured as “being active in organizations”

Formal

12,378

N.R.

N.R.

Bekkers [20]

GINPS^j

NL^k

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

2002

4

3

- Volunteer engagement

- Volunteer cessation

Volunteering is measured as “being active as a volunteer in the past year”

Mixed

1233^l;

731^m

56,6

44,1

Broese van Groenou & Van Tilburg [21]

LASAⁿ

NL

Adults aged between 55 and 69

65,1

5,0

55–69

N.R.

1992^o/2002^p

6

3^q

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

Current volunteering

Formal

1357^o; 1388^p

38,0^o/45,0^p

N.R.

Choi & Chou [22]

MIDUS^r

USA

English speaking adults aged 55–84 y at wave 2 with ≥1 telephone in the household

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

54,0

1995/1996

9

2

- Volunteer engagement

- Volunteer cessation

“On average, about how many hours per month do you spend doing formal volunteer work?”

Formal

917

35,6

41,4

Cramm & Nieboer [23]

N.A.^s

NL

Older adults aged ≥70 y living in Rotterdam

77,5

5,8

70–101

57,0

2011

2

2

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

Voluntary activities carried out in the past year

Formal

588

18,5

15,5

Curl et al. [24]

HRS^t

USA

Adults aged ≥65 y reported being able to drive at baseline

73,8

6,5

N.R.

48,3

1998

12

7

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

Voluntary work carried out in the past 12 months

Formal

4788

34,6

N.R.

Curl et al. [25]

HRS^t

USA

Respondents and spouses, aged ≥65 y, able to drive at baseline

73,9^u/ 71,5^v

5,4^u / 5,0^v

N.R.

50,0

1998

12

7

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

Voluntary work carried out in the past 12 months

Formal

2914^w

40,0^u / 41,5^v

N.R.

Einolf & Philbrick [26]

PSID^x

USA

Individuals never married at baseline

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

2003

2

2

-Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

-Religious volunteering {Yes vs. No}

“How often did you volunteer at or through….”

Formal

452^y; 610^z

Hank & Erlinghagen [27]

SHARE^ac

11 European countries

Individuals aged ≥50 y

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

2004/2005

2

2

- Volunteer engagement

- Volunteer cessation

“Have you done any of these activities in the last month?” - “done voluntary or charity work”

Formal

18,057

10,0

10,8

Johnston [28]

ACL^ad

USA

Individuals aged 25 and older living in the contiguous US.

54,0^ae

N.R.

N.R.

54,0

1986

16

4

- Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

- Religious institution volunteering {Yes vs. No}

- Nonreligious institution volunteering {Yes vs. No}

Volunteer work done in the last year

Formal

1283^af; 983^ag; 1272^ah

40,0

53,0

Lim & Mac Gregor [29]

FM^ai

USA

Respondents who report that they do not attend religious services on a regular basis

47,3

16,0

N.R.

47,0

2006

5

2

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

Volunteering in the past 12 months

Mixed

510

46,0

51,0

McNamara & Gonzales [30]

HRS^t

USA

Individuals aged 50–80

63,0^aj

N.R.

N.R.

58,7

2000/2001

8

5

-Volunteer engagement

-Volunteer cessation

“Have you spend any time in the past 12 months doing volunteer work for charitable organizations?”

Formal

4611^ak; 2961^al

45,1

N.R.

Mike et al. [31]

HRS^t

USA

Individuals ≥50 y, not volunteering and currently working/unemployed/retired

71,9

10,37

N.R.

54,0

2006/2008

2

2

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

“Have you spent any time in the past year volunteering?”

Mixed

5017

0,0

13,6

Nesbit [32]

PSID^x

USA

Household heads and their spouses

44,0

N.R.

N.R.

55,0

2003

2

2

-Religious volunteering {Yes vs. No}

-Secular volunteering {Yes vs. No)

Volunteering in the last year

Formal

11299^am; 11354^an

27,0

29,0

Okun et al. [33]

ACL^ad

USA

Individuals aged ≥65 y, reported volunteering in the past year

71,9

5,5

N.R.

71,0

1986

3

2

Volunteer cessation

Having done volunteer work in the last 12 months

Formal

380

100,0

61,0

Parkinson [34]

ALSWH^ao

Australia

Women aged 70–75 y

N.R.

N.R.

N.R.

100

1996

9

4

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

“Do you do any volunteer work for any community or social organizations?”

Mixed

7088

N.R.

24,5

Pavlova & Silbereisen [35]

Jena study^ap

Germany

Individuals aged 16–43 and 56–75 years

38,1^aq / 60,2^ar

3,9^aq / 3,9^ar

N.R.

57,4^aq / 44,6^ar

2005^ar/2009^as

1

2

-Volunteer engagement

-Volunteer cessation

Participation in voluntary work in the past 12 months

Formal

1560^aq; 518^ar

20,6^ar; 34.5^as

31,3

Pavlova & Silbereisen [36]

Jena Study^ap

Germany

Individuals aged 56–75 years

65,9

5,8

56–76

52,4

2009

1

2

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

Participation in voluntary work in the past 12 months

Formal

602

32,5

35,9

Son & Wilson [37]

MIDUS^r

USA

English speaking adults aged 25–74 y, living in the coterminous US

42,8

12,5

N.R.

55,0

1995

10

2

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

“On average, about how many hours do you spend per month doing volunteer work?”

Formal

3257

39,0

43,0

Son & Wilson [38]

MIDUS^r

USA

English speaking adults aged 25–74 y, living in the coterminous US

42,8

12,5

N.R.

55,0

1995

10

2

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

“On average, about how many hours do you spend per month doing volunteer work?”

Formal

3257

39,0

43,0

Son & Wilson [39]

MIDUS^r

USA

English speaking adults aged 25–74 y, living in the coterminous US

42,8

12,5

N.R.

55,0

1995

10

2

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

“On average, about how many hours do you spend per month doing volunteer work?”

Formal

3257

39,0

43,0

Voorpostel & Coffé [40]

SHP^as

Switzer-land

Adults aged 18–60 y

43,6^at /44,2^au

12,0^at /11,8^au

18–60

55,0

1999

8

9

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

“Do you have honorary or voluntary activities within an association, an organization or an institution?”

Formal

8185^av

42,5^aw / 31,6^ax

39,5^aw / 29,5^ax

Voorpostel & Coffé [41]

SHP^as

Switzer-land

Adults aged 18–26 y, no change in partnership of parents during study

21,0

2,4

18–26

47,0

1999

10

11

Volunteering {Yes vs. No}

“Do you have honorary or voluntary activities within an association, an organization or an institution?”

Formal

3199^ay