Donnette Narine|Takashi Yamashita|Wonmai Punksungka|Abigail Helsinger|Jenna W. Kramer|Rita Karam|Phyllis Cummins
THE ROLE OF EDUCATION AND LITERACY SKILLS ON MIDDLE-AGED AND OLDER VOLUNTEERS BY RACE AND ETHNICITY IN THE US
University of Baltimore|University of Maryland, Baltimore|University of Maryland, Baltimore County|University of Maryland, Baltimore County|Miami University|RAND Corporation|RAND Corporation|Miami University
abstract volunteer participation form civic engagement benefits individual society life course although education basic skills eg literacy raceethnicity individually associated volunteering detailed interrelations yet explored guided integrated theory volunteer work notion productive aging goal study examine roles education adult literacy context volunteering later life across racial ethnic groups whites blacks hispanics us using nationally representative sample middleaged older adults age 45 n 3770 201220142017 program international assessment adult competencies piaac structural equation modeling constructed evaluate mediation relationships among education literacy volunteering racial ethnic groups results show statistically significant mediation aka indirect effect education volunteering literacy statistically significant difference mediation effect across racial ethnic groups however statistically significant differences direct effect education volunteering black adults white adults bblack 044 versus bwhite 024 p amplt 005 well black adults hispanic adults bblack 044 versus bhispanic 008 p amplt 005 findings indicate higher education strongly associated volunteering among older black adults compared white hispanic counterparts suggested policy implications include support promotion volunteer participation culturally socioeconomically sensitive approaches