Spending a day at a museum or an evening at the theater may benefit more than the mind, according to a new study. Researchers found that high levels of cultural activity, such as visiting museums, are linked to slower physiological aging, better health markers and greater overall wellbeing in older adults.
Scientists at the Tokyo University of Science in Japan conducted a long-term study examining the relationship between cultural activity and physiological, or biological, age, a measure of how well the body is functioning that can differ from a person's actual age, as reported by Martha Stewart.
The researchers analyzed data from 1,899 adults who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, an ongoing population study tracking a nationally representative sample of adults aged 50 and older living in England.
They collected data on 10 physiological indicators, including pulse pressure, diastolic blood pressure, forced expiratory volume, hemoglobin concentration, fibrinogen, glycated hemoglobin, low-density lipoprotein, body mass index, grip strength and walking speed, and used them to calculate a composite physiological age score.
Participants also completed a questionnaire asking how often they visited the cinema, museums or art galleries, and how often they attended the theater, concerts or the opera, rating each on a scale from 0, meaning never, to 5, meaning twice a month or more, producing a cultural activity score of 0 to 15.
Three Years Younger
The study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, found that people with high cultural activity, defined as attending every few months or more, had a physiological age of 66.9 years, about three years younger than those with low cultural activity, who averaged 69.9 years.
Each additional point on the cultural activity score was linked to a 0.085-year, or 31-day, reduction in physiological age, after accounting for factors such as household income, employment and chronic illness.
The study's authors suggested cultural activity may strengthen social ties, encourage healthier habits and improve mental health, all of which could help slow physiological aging. Despite the study's limitations, the authors noted that the effect of cultural activity may be comparable to that of regular physical activity.
The findings echo earlier research published in the journal Innovation in Aging, which found that people who engaged in creative activities, including singing, dancing, painting, photography, crafts, and visits to art exhibitions, historical sites, museums and libraries, at least once a week slowed their aging process by 4 percent, making them biologically about a year younger, an effect comparable to regular physical activity.
The Tokyo University of Science researchers acknowledged their findings could reflect reverse causation, since healthier people may simply have more opportunities to take part in cultural activities. They also noted the study's relatively small sample size of 1,899 people.
