Effects of fear of COVID-19 on older volunteers' willingness to continue their activities: REPRINTS cohort study.

Abstract

This study examined the effects of fear of COVID-19 on older volunteers' willingness to continue activities that required face-to-face interactions. From September to November 2020, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted with 481 older adult volunteers. A total of 423 responses were collected; 343 had no missing items and were included in the analysis. Analysis items included willingness to continue volunteer activities, fear of COVID-19, mental and physical health, and a group of items related to factors influencing the continuation of volunteer activities. The structural analysis of covariance indicated that volunteer orientation, which included items considered to be factors for continuing volunteer activities, had a significant positive influence on the willingness to continue activities. Fear of COVID-19 had a significant negative effect on the latent variable mental and physical health, which consisted of a subjective sense of health, but fear of COVID-19 and physical and mental health had no significant effect on the willingness to continue volunteering. Our results suggest that the willingness of older adults to continue volunteer activities during the COVID-19 pandemic is influenced by their volunteer orientation and is not affected by their fear of COVID-19. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 370-376.