Factors influencing college students' willingness to participate in community volunteer services for the older adults in China.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate college students' willingness to participate in community volunteer services for the older adults and identify its associated influencing factors. METHODS: A questionnaire survey was conducted from May to October 2025 through multiple channels, including online platforms, telephone interviews, and offline paper distribution. A total of 1,372 valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 38.27% of participants had previously engaged in community volunteer activities for the older adults, while 77.77% expressed willingness to participate in such initiatives. Significant associations (p < 0.05) were detected between students' participation willingness and the following variables: gender, household registration type, capacity building for voluntary older adults care services, university support, social support, altruistic spirit, awareness of respecting and caring for the older adults, and communication skills. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that several factors positively predicted college students' willingness to participate in community volunteer services for the older adults, including female gender (OR = 1.443), strong service capacity building (OR = 12.526), and sound university institutional support (OR = 2.063). CONCLUSION: Although community volunteer services for the older adults are widely recognized and accepted among college students, their overall participation willingness remains insufficient. Universities and relevant institutions should establish long-term operational mechanisms, optimize service capacity-building systems, and strengthen institutional support, and these measures can effectively enhance college students' enthusiasm for participating in community-based older adults care volunteer services.