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Doing Good, Feeling Good, and Having More: Resources Mediate the Health Benefits of Altruism Differently for Males and Females with Lumbar Spine Disorders

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Abstract

We evaluated whether resources mediate and/or moderate the relationship between altruism and health outcomes in adults with lumbar spine disorders. Hierarchical regression modeling on 243 persons with lumbar spine disorders evaluated gender differences and whether physical, emotional, and economic resources mediated or moderated the relationship between altruism (Schwartz Altruism) and health (Rand-36, PROMIS Pain Impact). Men and women had similar altruism subscale scores, but there were gender differences in the altruism-health relationships. Both men and women had better mental health with higher levels of Community Connection, after adjusting for Community Pressure, and this effect was mediated by emotional resources. Women evidenced better physical health and less pain impact when they endorsed higher levels of Community Connection and/or General Helping aspects of altruism. Physical and economic resources partially but did not fully mediate women’s altruism-physical health link. The altruism-pain impact link was not significant after adjusting for covariates. Men and women report similar levels of altruism but enjoy different benefits. Emotional resources explained the altruism-mental health link in both genders, but women experienced a physical health benefit of altruism that was not mediated by resources. Future research should test causal relationships.

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge Emily Samaha, Mariam Kahn Woods, and Aimee Gallant for assistance with data collection; Yuelin Li, Ph.D., for helpful discussions on earlier drafts of the manuscript; and the Foundation for Orthopedic Spine Research and Physicians Services Incorporated for partial financial support of this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DeltaQuest Foundation, 31 Mitchell Road, Concord, MA, 01742, USA

    Carolyn E. Schwartz, Brian R. Quaranto & Rita Bode

  2. Departments of Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Carolyn E. Schwartz

  3. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    Rita Bode

  4. Division of Orthopedic Surgery, Spine Section Head, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Joel A. Finkelstein

  5. Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Joel A. Finkelstein

  6. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    Paul A. Glazer

  7. Department of Medical Psychology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Mirjam A. G. Sprangers

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  1. Carolyn E. Schwartz
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  2. Brian R. Quaranto
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  4. Joel A. Finkelstein
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Correspondence to Carolyn E. Schwartz.

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Schwartz, C.E., Quaranto, B.R., Bode, R. et al. Doing Good, Feeling Good, and Having More: Resources Mediate the Health Benefits of Altruism Differently for Males and Females with Lumbar Spine Disorders. Applied Research Quality Life 7, 263–279 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-012-9165-y

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