Text Size

Volunteering and Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents

This study has been completed.
Sponsor:
Collaborators:
William T. Grant Foundation
HopeLab Foundation
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
University of British Columbia
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01698034
First received: September 21, 2012
Last updated: October 2, 2012
Last verified: October 2012
History of Changes
  Purpose

This study tested whether getting youth engaged in helping others (volunteering) would benefit youth's physical health. 106 predominantly minority and low socioeconomic status (SES) youth were randomized to either volunteer weekly with elementary school children in after school programs or to a wait-list control group. The investigators hypothesized that cardiovascular risk markers of C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), total cholesterol, and body mass index (BMI) would be lower at post-intervention (4 months after baseline) in the volunteer group compared to the control group. The investigators also hypothesized that the intervention might work through pathways such as reducing negative mood, improving self esteem, and increasing prosocial behaviors (empathy, altruism).


Condition Intervention
Cardiovascular Risk Factors
 Behavioral: Volunteering

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Official Title: How Volunteer Programs Affect Health and Well-being in Low-income Youth

Resource links provided by NLM:

MedlinePlus related topics: Cholesterol
U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by University of British Columbia:

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Body mass index [ Time Frame: Baseline-adjusted post-intervention scores at 4 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • C-reactive protein [ Time Frame: Baseline-adjusted post-intervention scores at 4 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • Interleukin-6 [ Time Frame: Baseline-adjusted post-intervention scores at 4 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • Total Cholesterol [ Time Frame: Baseline-adjusted post-intervention scores at 4 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Enrollment: 106
Study Start Date: September 2011
Study Completion Date: January 2012
Primary Completion Date: January 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Arms Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Volunteering
Weekly volunteering with elementary school children in after school programs
 Behavioral: Volunteering
Weekly volunteering with elementary school children in after school programs
No Intervention: Control
Wait-list control

  Eligibility

Genders Eligible for Study:   Both
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 10th grade high school student
  • English speaking
  • No chronic illnesses

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Chronic medical illness
  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01698034

Locations
Canada, British Columbia
Vancouver Technical Secondary School
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V5M1Y5
Sponsors and Collaborators
University of British Columbia
William T. Grant Foundation
HopeLab Foundation
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
Investigators
Principal Investigator: Edith Chen Northwestern University
  More Information

No publications provided by University of British Columbia

Additional publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):

Responsible Party: University of British Columbia
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01698034     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: H11-00943
Study First Received: September 21, 2012
Last Updated: October 2, 2012
Health Authority: Canada: Health Canada

Keywords provided by University of British Columbia:
volunteering
cardiovascular health

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on May 23, 2013