Summary: A recent longitudinal study of older Canadians found that regular social participation—particularly volunteer work and recreational activities—is associated with higher odds of maintaining excellent health and well-being over a three-year period.
Researchers followed more than 7,000 adults aged 60 and older to examine whether involvement in community, volunteer, religious, cultural, or recreational activities predicted “successful aging.” The study broadened the concept of successful aging to include both objective measures (physical, cognitive, functional status) and subjective measures (self-reported health, happiness, and life satisfaction), allowing people with managed chronic conditions to still be considered as aging successfully.
The findings emphasize the potential role of social engagement and non-pharmacological approaches—such as social prescribing by health professionals—in supporting healthy later life.
Key Facts:
- Participation in volunteer or recreational activities at baseline was linked to a greater likelihood of remaining in excellent health three years later.
- The study used a more inclusive definition of successful aging that combined objective health and functional criteria with subjective well-being, so people with non-disabling chronic illness could still be classified as aging successfully.
- Social prescribing—where clinicians refer patients to community-based social activities—was highlighted as an emerging practice that may help promote healthy aging among older adults.
Source: University of Toronto
Study overview: This research analyzed data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), tracking a cohort over two waves of data collection (baseline 2011–2015 and follow-up 2015–2018). The analysis focused on 7,623 participants who were aged 60 or older at follow-up and were classified as aging successfully at baseline.
At baseline, all included participants met the study’s criteria for successful aging. Over the subsequent three years, about 72% of those who reported volunteering or participating in recreational activities at baseline continued to meet the criteria for successful aging. In comparison, roughly two-thirds of those not participating in these activities remained in the successful aging category at follow-up.
After adjusting for a wide range of sociodemographic and health-related factors, the analysis found that baseline engagement in recreational activities was associated with a 15% higher likelihood of maintaining successful aging, while engagement in volunteer or charity work was associated with a 17% higher likelihood.
The lead author, Mabel Ho, a doctoral candidate at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and the Institute for Life Course and Aging, notes that the observational design cannot prove causation. Still, she emphasizes the intuitive and documented benefits of social connectedness: feeling engaged can improve mood, reduce loneliness, and support mental and overall health across the life course.
Senior author Esme Fuller-Thomson, Director of the Institute for Life Course & Aging, highlighted the practical implications: encouraging social participation and building supportive community environments can help older adults preserve physical, cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. She called for coordinated efforts by families, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to foster conditions that support vibrant later lives.
A notable strength of this study is its inclusive operational definition of successful aging. Unlike many earlier studies that excluded anyone with chronic conditions, this analysis allowed people with non-disabling chronic illness to qualify as aging successfully so long as they remained functionally independent and free of disabling pain. It also incorporated older adults’ own assessments of their health, happiness, and life satisfaction—dimensions often overlooked in prior research.
About this research
Author: Mabel Ho
Source: University of Toronto
Contact: Mabel Ho – University of Toronto
Image credit: Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access. Title: Is Social Participation Associated with Successful Aging among Older Canadians? Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
Abstract (condensed)
Objective: To examine whether different types of social participation—religious, educational/cultural, service club or fraternal organizations, neighbourhood or professional associations, volunteer or charity work, and recreational activities—are associated with successful aging over time.
Methods: Secondary analysis of CLSA baseline (2011–2015) and follow-up (2015–2018) data. The analytic sample included 7,623 older adults who were classified as aging successfully at baseline and aged 60+ at follow-up. Binary logistic regression models adjusted for 22 potential confounders were used to assess associations between baseline social participation and successful aging at follow-up.
Results: Participation in volunteer or charity work and engagement in recreational activities at baseline were significantly associated with higher odds of remaining in the successful aging category at follow-up (adjusted odds ratios: volunteer/charity work aOR = 1.17; recreational activities aOR = 1.15).
Conclusions: Among the types of social participation examined, volunteer/charity work and recreational activities showed the strongest associations with continued successful aging. If these associations reflect causal effects, policies and interventions that promote volunteerism and recreational engagement among older adults could help support healthier, more satisfying later lives.