Aging and voluntary association participation.

This longitudinal analysis examines changes in voluntary association participation levels over a 4-year period using data from the middle age of the Duke Adaptation Study (N=374) and over a 2 1/2-year period using data from a study of older persons in Oberlin, Ohio (N=104). The findings showed; the extent of participation was high in both samples; mean levels of participation remained essentially unchanged; persons with stable or increasing participation levels outnumbered those with declining levels; and persons not participating at the time of the initial interview were unlikely to be participating later, while those who were participating initially were likely to have continued their participation. Contrary to predictions of declining activity based on disengagement theory, aging appears to be accompanied by stability and continuity in levels of voluntary association participation.