What this means
Reports an error in "How is volunteering associated with reduced mortality? A mediator-wide approach" by Julia S.
A plain-English summary is on its way. Until then, this is the start of the authors' own summary.
- Who it was tested in
- Not stated
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- Correction to "How is volunteering associated with reduced mortality? A mediator-wide approach" by Nakamura et al. (2025).
- Journal
- Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
- Published
- Oct 19, 2026
- Study type
- Study
- PMID
- 42895502 ↗
Abstract
Background
Reports an error in "How is volunteering associated with reduced mortality? A mediator-wide approach" by Julia S. Nakamura, Koichiro Shiba, Baoyi Shi, Rachel S. Leong, Tyler J. VanderWeele and Eric S. Kim (Health Psychology, 2025[May], Vol 44[5], 518-527; see record 2026-04127-012). In the original article, there were errors in the abstracts and in Figure 1. In the first sentence of the 'Method' section of the abstracts (both English and Spanish), the sample size should read 9,662 participants instead of 9,962 participants. In Figure 1, the number excluded in the bottom right box should read 2,499 instead of 2,449. The revised Figure is present in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2026-04127-012). Volunteering has been repeatedly associated with reduced mortality in older adults, yet research examining the mechanisms explaining this association remains limited. We evaluated potentially modifiable mediators, and combinations of mediators, that may underlie the volunteering-mortality association.
What they did
We used prospective data from 9,962 participants in the Health and Retirement Study (2006-2018), a national, diverse, and longitudinal cohort of U.S. adults aged >50. We evaluated associations between volunteering at baseline (2008/2010), mediators at Wave 2 (2010/2012), and mortality between Waves 3 and 4 (2010-2016 for Cohort A, 2012-2018 for Cohort B).
What they found
After adjusting for demographic confounders and mediators in the prebaseline wave (2006/2008), we observed evidence of mediation for those who volunteered ≥100 hr/year (vs. 0 hr/year) through combined physical health factors (proportion mediated [PM] = 49.56%, p = .004) and social factors (PM = 90.76%, p = .017) as well as through increased contact with friends (PM = 25.34%, p = .015) and helping friends/neighbors/relatives (PM = 25.12%, p = .018). However, there was less evidence of mediation through other proposed mediators. With further research, these results inform basic science, interventions, and policies by identifying potential mechanisms, which might become modifiable features of the volunteering experience, to promote longevity in our rapidly aging population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
The authors' abstract, grouped under plain headings from its own section labels.
Correction to "How is volunteering associated with reduced mortality? A mediator-wide approach" by Nakamura et al. (2025). Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association. 2026. doi:10.1037/hea0001658. PMID: 42895502. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42895502/