Motivation, satisfaction and perceived benefits of volunteering with the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP): A survey of French-speaking volunteers in Quebec
Abstract Background: Locally recruited and trained volunteers are a vital component of the Cardiovascular Health Awareness Program (CHAP), a community-based cardiovascular disease prevention program that has been implemented across different settings and targeting different populations. As part of expanding and adapting CHAP to new settings, we conducted a pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial to implement CHAP targeting French-speaking elderly residents of subsidized social housing buildings in Québec and Ontario. As there is some evidence that the culture of volunteering might be different for English-speakers than their French-speaking counterparts, our objective was to generate a profile of French-speaking CHAP volunteers and to compare it with English-speaking volunteers in Ontario who participated in an earlier community-based CHAP program and with volunteers in Canada as reported in the Statistics Canada's General Social Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating (CSGVP). Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered online or by telephone to French-speaking volunteers who participated in at least one CHAP session held in subsidized social housing in Montérégie (Québec, Canada) between March 2018 and June 2019. Results: The response rate was 79% (30/38), majority were female (87%, 26/30), retired or semi-retired (83%; 25/30), almost two-thirds (63%, 19/30) had previous work experience in the healthcare field, and 40% (12/30) had more than 10 years of volunteering experience. These characteristics were similar both to those of general profile of volunteers in Canada and to English-speaking volunteers in Ontario who participated in an earlier pharmacy-based CHAP program. The top 5 reasons for volunteering among French-speaking CHAP volunteers were identical to those reported in CSGVP: making a contribution to the community; using one’s skills and experience; improving one’s sense of well-being or health; exploring one’s own strengths; and networking with or meeting people. The majority of French-speaking CHAP volunteers, like their English counterparts in Ontario, reported a high level of satisfaction with their participation in the program, enjoyed their interaction with participants, and gained new knowledge. Conclusions: French-speaking CHAP volunteers in Quebec share many similarities with English-speaking CHAP volunteers in Ontario and volunteers in Canada in terms of background, motivation, satisfaction and perceived benefits of volunteering.