Psychosocial factors influencing volunteering motivation: A pilot study in a Taiwanese healthcare volunteer program

ABSTRACT

Volunteers of various ages and backgrounds are an essential contribution to society in countries worldwide. In Taiwan, the healthcare sector greatly benefits from volunteers which are mostly elderly individuals. In this study, we examine the various psychosocial factors that prompt volunteers within Taiwan’s healthcare sector to set aside their time and resources for this important activity. A total of 144 valid surveys containing 19 questions relevant to the healthcare volunteering experience were collected from participants. The Cronbach’s Alpha for this pilot study was 0.8988. Participants expressed among important motivating factors the following: serving the community, improved well-being and health, recognition among friends and family, connections, avoiding loneliness, and a feeling of self-worth. Our study revealed some important motivating factors prompting individuals in society to dedicate their time and resources to volunteer in Taiwan’s healthcare sector, contributing to the reduction of healthcare costs and benefiting society in many ways.

KEYWORDS:

• Healthcare
• motivation
• psychosocial factors
• society
• volunteering

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).