Back to Search
Start Over
Environmental Volunteerism for Social Good: A Longitudinal Study of Older Adults' Health.
- Source :
- Research on Social Work Practice; Feb2020, Vol. 30 Issue 2, p233-245, 13p
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Natural disasters and aging societies are increasingly prevalent globally. To improve environmental injustice and contribute to social good, the Tzu Chi Recycling Program engages older adult volunteers in recycling usable materials into eco-friendly blankets for disaster survivors. Drawing on life span and ecological systems theories, this study examined the longitudinal effects of this program on older adults' mental and physical health. Using a quasi-experimental longitudinal design, data were collected from older adults at recycling stations (intervention group, n = 36) and community centers (control group, n = 36) in rural areas in Southern Taiwan. Findings from two-way repeated measures analysis of variance show that the program significantly improved older adults' self-compassion, compassion for others, depression, hostility, happiness, and hypertension. Older adults built resilience and contributed to environmental sustainability and social good, which suggest a new avenue for social work practitioners and policy-makers to address social and environmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ANALYSIS of variance
BEDDING
CHI-squared test
CLINICAL trials
MENTAL depression
DISASTERS
HAPPINESS
HEALTH
HEALTH promotion
HYPERTENSION
LONGITUDINAL method
RESEARCH methodology
MENTAL health
PSYCHOLOGICAL tests
PSYCHOLOGY
QUESTIONNAIRES
WASTE recycling
PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience
RURAL conditions
STATISTICAL sampling
SELF-evaluation
SELF-perception
T-test (Statistics)
COMPASSION
THEORY
WELL-being
PRE-tests & post-tests
REPEATED measures design
SUSTAINABILITY
EVALUATION of human services programs
DATA analysis software
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10497315
- Volume :
- 30
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Research on Social Work Practice
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 141168002
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731519892620