A social model for health promotion for an aging population: initial evidence on the Experience Corps model
ABSTRACT This report evaluates whether a program for older volunteers, designed for
both generativity and health promotion, leads to short-term improvements in multiple
behavioral risk factors and positive effects on intermediary risk factors for disability and
other morbidities. The Experience Corps® places older volunteers in public elementary
schools in roles designed to meet schools’ needs and increase the social, physical, and
cognitive activity of the volunteers. This article reports on a pilot randomized trial in
Baltimore, Maryland. The 128 volunteers were 60–86 years old; 95% were African
American. At follow-up of 4–8 months, physical activity, strength, people one could
turn to for help, and cognitive activity increased significantly, and walking speed
decreased significantly less, in participants compared to controls. In this pilot trial,
physical, cognitive, and social activity increased, suggesting the potential for the Experience
Corps to improve health for an aging population and simultaneously improve educational
outcomes for children.
KEYWORDS Compression of morbidity, Gen