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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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| Elder retired volunteers benefit from giving massage therapy to infants | | Author(s) | Tiffany M Field, Maria Hernandez-Reif, Olga Quintino |
| Journal title | Journal of Applied Gerontology, vol 17, no 2, June 1998 |
| Pages | pp 229-239 |
| Keywords | Touch ; Alternative medicine ; Voluntary work [elderly] ; Infants ; Health [elderly] ; Well being ; United States of America. |
| Annotation | Research has demonstrated the positive effects of receiving massage in a variety of populations, including older people and prematurely born babies. However, little is known about the effects on the person giving the massage. This US study compared the effects of older volunteers giving massage to infants with receiving massage themselves. Three times a week for 3 weeks, ten older volunteers massaged infants at a nursery school. Receiving massage first versus giving massage first was counterbalanced across subjects. Immediately after the first- and last-day sessions of giving massage, the participants had less anxiety and depression and lower stress hormone levels. Over the 3-week period, depression and catecholamines decreased and lifestyle and health improved. These effects were not as strong for the 3-week period when they received massage, possibly because they initially felt awkward about being massaged and because they derived more satisfaction from giving massage to the infant. (AKM). |
| Accession Number | CPA-980703406 A |
| Classmark | BLU: LK3: GHH: SBF: CC: D:F:5HH: 7T |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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