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Increases in Lifestyle Activities as a Result of Experience Corps® Participation

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Abstract

Experience Corps® (EC) was designed to simultaneously increase cognitive, social, and physical activity through high-intensity volunteerism in elementary school classrooms. It is, therefore, highly likely that EC participation may alter pre-existing patterns of lifestyle activity. This study examined the impact of “real-world” volunteer engagement on the frequency of participation in various lifestyle activities over a 2-year period. Specifically, we examined intervention-related changes on reported activity levels at 12 and 24 months post-baseline using Intention-to-Treat (ITT) and Complier Average Causal Effect (CACE) analyses, which account for the amount of program exposure. ITT analyses indicated that, compared to the control group, EC participants reported modest increases (approximately half a day/month) in overall activity level, especially in intellectual and physical activities 12 months post-baseline. Increases in activity were not found at the 24-month assessment. CACE models revealed similar findings for overall activity as well as for intellectual and physical activities at 12 months. Additionally, CACE findings suggested modest increases in social activity at 12 months and in intellectual and passive activities at 24 months post-baseline. This community-based, health promotion intervention has the potential to impact lifestyle activity, which may lead to long-term increases in activity and to other positive cognitive, physical, and psychosocial health outcomes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging (P01 AG027735), the John A. Hartford Foundation, and the Johns Hopkins Older Americans Independence Center under contracts P30-AG02133 and R37-AG19905 from the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health. The authors would also like to thank the Greater Homewood Community Corporation, Experience Corps National, Civic Ventures, the Baltimore City Public School System, the City of Baltimore, the Commission on Aging and Retirement Education, the Baltimore City Retirees Association, AARP, the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, and The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for ongoing vision and support. Special thanks to all the staff and volunteers of the Baltimore Experience Corps who have made this all possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Jeanine M. Parisi, Julie Kuo, George W. Rebok & Michelle C. Carlson

  2. Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    George W. Rebok, Qian-Li Xue, Jin Huang, David L. Roth, Elizabeth K. Tanner & Michelle C. Carlson

  3. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Qian-Li Xue & David L. Roth

  4. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA

    Linda P. Fried

  5. University of Southern California School of Gerontology, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Tara L. Gruenewald

  6. David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Teresa E. Seeman

  7. Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Elizabeth K. Tanner

Authors
  1. Jeanine M. Parisi
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  2. Julie Kuo
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  3. George W. Rebok
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  4. Qian-Li Xue
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  7. Jin Huang
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  8. Teresa E. Seeman
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  11. Michelle C. Carlson
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Correspondence to Jeanine M. Parisi.

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Parisi, J.M., Kuo, J., Rebok, G.W. et al. Increases in Lifestyle Activities as a Result of Experience Corps® Participation. J Urban Health 92, 55–66 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-014-9918-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-014-9918-z

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