Visiting an art gallery and attending a concert could help you live longer
The GP training programme director has praised the research.
REGULAR VISITS to museums, art galleries, the theatre and concerts can lead to a longer life, research suggests.
A new study found that engaging with the arts every few months or more lowered the risk of dying early by 31 per cent.
And even people who enjoyed cultural activities less frequently – once or twice a year – had a 14 per cent reduced risk of dying during an average follow-up of 12 years compared with those who never engaged with the arts.
The findings held true even when factors likely to influence the results, such as marital status, employment, wealth, education and friendship groups, were taken into account.
For the study in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), people were asked to list how frequently they engaged with the arts, including visiting exhibitions and going to the opera.
The researchers, from University College London, concluded: “Receptive arts engagement could have a protective association with longevity in older adults.”
In an accompanying editorial, Dr Nicola Gill, a GP training programme director in York, and Stephen Clift, from Canterbury Christ Church University, praised the research but said those who have the most to gain from participating in cultural activities – such as the lonely or depressed – were least likely to do so.
They wrote: “Over 40 per cent of participants in the least wealthy group also reported that they never accessed cultural activities.
“Work must now be done to ensure that the health benefits of these activities are accessible to those who would benefit most.”
They suggested Christmas gifts for children of pantomime tickets or books would be a step towards promoting art and health, adding it has “the power to change a life”.