Engaging With The Arts Lowers Risk Of Death, Study Finds
After accounting for other influencing factors, such as social activity, overall health, and economic status, researchers found that people who engaged in the arts just once or twice annually had a 14% lower risk of dying during the 12 year tracking period than adults who reported never engaging in the arts.
The study’s authors say their findings can largely be explained by the fact that older adults who reported engaging in the arts frequently also displayed superior cognition skills and mental health, as well as more regular physical fitness. However, even after removing these factors from their analysis, researchers say those who take in the arts still appeared to be at a lower risk of dying.
To be clear, this study was only observational, and as such, can not establish definitive causation. The research team also concede that only assessing participants’ cultural engagement at one point in...
