Volunteering was associated with higher initial cognitive functioning and a slower rate of cognitive decline over time among older Chinese immigrants, with stronger benefits for those migrating at an older age and those with lower levels of acculturation.
Only 6.6% of older Chinese immigrants reported volunteering through organizations at Wave 3 baseline.
Volunteering was associated with higher initial levels of cognitive functioning after adjusting for sociodemographic and health covariates.
Volunteering was associated with a slower rate of cognitive decline over time among older Chinese immigrants.
The association between volunteering and cognitive functioning was stronger among those who migrated at an older age.
The association between volunteering and cognitive functioning was stronger among those with lower levels of acculturation.
Cross-lagged panel model analyses indicated that volunteering predicted subsequent cognitive functioning, but cognitive functioning did not significantly predict subsequent volunteering.
This research suggests that participating in organizational volunteering may help protect against cognitive decline among older Chinese immigrants living in the United States. The study followed over 2,000 Chinese immigrants aged 60 and older in Chicago across three time points between 2015 and 2020, finding that those who volunteered had better cognitive functioning at the start of the study and experienced a slower rate of cognitive decline over time. Notably, only about 1 in 15 participants reported volunteering through organizations, indicating that this potentially beneficial activity is not widely practiced in this population. The cognitive benefits of volunteering appeared to be especially pronounced for immigrants who arrived in the United States at an older age and for those who had lower levels of acculturation — meaning those who were less integrated into mainstream American culture. This suggests that volunteering may be particularly valuable for individuals who face greater social and cultural isolation. Importantly, the statistical analyses showed that volunteering predicted better future cognitive functioning, but that better cognitive functioning did not predict future volunteering, which helps rule out the possibility that the findings simply reflect healthier people being more likely to volunteer. This research suggests that creating culturally responsive volunteer programs tailored to older immigrant communities could be a meaningful way to support cognitive health in this growing population. Organizational volunteering, which typically involves cognitively stimulating and socially engaging activities, may help offset some of the social and cultural barriers that older immigrants face, potentially reducing their risk of cognitive decline.
Tang F, Yin Q, Da W, Jiang Y. (2026). Longitudinal relationship between volunteering and cognitive functioning among older Chinese immigrants in the United States.. The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences. https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbag085