Cultural and artistic activities such as regularly visiting cinemas, museums, and concert halls may have a positive effect on healthy aging, according to a study. In particular, people who regularly enjoyed cultural activities were found to be about three years younger in biological age on average than those who did not.
According to the medical community on the 26th, the New York Post recently introduced the link between cultural and artistic activities and biological aging, citing a study by the Tokyo Institute of Science in Japan published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
The researchers analyzed health data from 1,899 adults aged 50 and older who participated in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), a long-term follow-up survey in the United Kingdom. They calculated biological age by combining various physical indicators, including blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), grip strength, and walking speed, and then compared it with the frequency of participation in cultural and artistic activities.
As a result, people who visited cinemas, museums, art galleries, concerts, plays, and operas at least once every few months had an average biological age of 66.9 years. In contrast, the group with rare participation in cultural activities was analyzed to have an average of 69.9 years, about three years higher.
Unlike chronological age, which refers to age based on official registration, biological age is an indicator that reflects physical function and health status. It is known to be influenced by various factors, including genetics as well as sleep, stress, dietary habits, exercise, and living environment.
Social Interaction and Mental Health Are Key; Diverse Hobbies Help
The researchers explained that cultural and artistic activities help broaden social relationships and reduce feelings of depression and stress, and that these changes, combined with the formation of healthy lifestyle habits, may have slowed the pace of aging. They added that this is also in line with previous research findings showing that the more active one's interaction with others, the more positive the effect on maintaining physical and mental health.
However, they drew the line that this study alone cannot conclude that cultural activities themselves directly slow aging. This is because it is difficult to rule out the possibility that people who are usually healthy also participated more actively in cultural and artistic activities.
Nevertheless, similar results were confirmed in other studies. In a study of about 3,500 British adults, people who enjoyed creative activities such as visiting art galleries, singing, dancing, drawing, and painting at least once a week aged about 4% more slowly than those who did not. Even participating only about once a month showed a tendency to reduce the pace of aging by about 3%.
The researchers said that broadly experiencing various cultural and artistic activities, such as watching performances, exhibitions, music, and art, rather than concentrating on just one particular hobby, may be more helpful for healthy aging.
