Exploring solutions to physical inactivity: a scoping review of health professionals volunteering their professional skills

Background: Volunteering positively affects overall health of both volunteers and recipients through social interaction, support and physical activity (PA). Health professionals’ volunteering has enormous potential to improve PA-related health outcomes in communities.
Purpose: To identify scientific literature documenting volunteering of health professionals and to explore evidence of professional volunteering in health promotion.
Method: Six databases were searched to identify eligible studies published from 2010-23. Data on study methods and findings were extracted and synthesized.
Results: 144 eligible studies were identified. Eighty studies (56%) were quantitative (90% of these, n=72, were descriptive), 32% (n=46) were qualitative and 12% (n=18) were mixed methods. Only 6% of studies (n=8) were interventional. Doctors were the most reported volunteering profession, (n=74, 51%), followed by nurses (n=40, 28%) and others (n=18, 12.5%) Half the studies were from USA (n=77, 53%), followed by UK (n=19, 13%), Canada (n=12, 8%), Australia and NZ (n=11,8%) and other countries (n=25, 17%). International volunteering in low- to-middle-income countries was widely reported (n=64, 44%). Providing health services and training were the dominant volunteering activities (n=90, 62.5%), with health promotion reported in only 3% of studies (n=4). Studies reported positive impact from volunteering, both professionally and personally. Time and family commitments were the main barriers.
Conclusion: Health professionals volunteer in diverse settings and activities with multifaceted benefits for both the volunteers and service recipients. Evidence of health professionals’ volunteering in promotion of PA is lacking.
Practical implications: Intervention studies of volunteering programs could allow development of new, sustainable approaches for promotion of PA and health. This review can inform health organisations about the determinants of health professionals’ volunteering and encourage them to provide social interaction and professional development opportunities as incentives. Retired health professional volunteers can benefit from remaining physically and socially active and engaged as they progress through old age.
Funding: Nil