Arts for ageing well: a propensity score matching analysis of the effects of arts engagements on holistic well-being among older Asian adults above 50 years of age

Abstract

ObjectiveTo assess the frequency and intensity of arts engagement inclusive of active and passive engagements in arts, culture and heritage activities among Singaporean adults aged 50 and above, and examine the relationships between participatory art and holistic well-being.DesignCross-sectional stratified household survey.SettingAll residential areas across Singapore’s Central, East, North, North-East and West Regions.Participants1067 community-dwelling, Singaporean older adults between the ages of 50 and 95 years were recruited.Primary and secondary outcome measuresRespondents completed a self-reported questionnaire, consisting of standardised ad hoc items assessing the frequencies and durations of active and passive participatory arts engagement, as well as validated psychometric assessments on psychosociospiritual health including the primary outcome measure on quality of life, and the secondary outcome measures on physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being. sociodemographic information, as well as frequency and intensity of physical activity were also collected.ResultsPassive engagement (60%) and active engagement (17%) in the arts were associated with better holistic wellness and social support. Specifically, findings from the propensity score matching and independent t-test analyses revealed that adults aged 50 and above who passively engaged in arts and culture-related events experienced higher quality of life (t(728)=3.35, p=0.0008, d=0.25), perceived health (t(728)=2.21, p=0.0277, d=0.16) and sense of belonging (t(728)=2.17, p=0.03, d=0.16), as compared with those who did not. Moreover, those who actively engaged in participatory arts experienced greater quality of life (t(442)=3.68, p=0.0003, d=0.36), self-rated health (t(442)=2.59, p=0.0099, d=0.25), spiritual well-being (t(442)=3.75, p=0.0002, d=0.37), meaning in life (t(442)=5.03, p<0.0001, d=0.50) and sense of peace (t(442)=3.72, p=0.0002, d=0.36), as compared with those who did not actively engaged in the arts.ConclusionThis study provided robust evidence to support a significant causal relationship between arts engagements and holistic well-being. Recommendations for art-based public health and elderly care research, practice and policy are discussed.

Bayesian Spatial Modeling of Diabetes and Hypertension: Results from the South Africa General Household Survey

“…The results show a similar pattern for both diseases examined in this study, implying that both diabetes and hypertension prevalence peak among middle-aged individuals (around age 60 years). Consistent with previous studies, this study showed that the effect of age on diabetes is nearly logarithmic with respect to respondent age [ 61 , 62 ]. Moreover, the study on the prevalence and associated factors of hypertension in a national sample of older South Africans who participated in the Study of Global Ageing and Adults’ Health found high rates of hypertension among older adults (50 years and more) in South Africa [ 63 , 64 ].…”

Older adults’ participation in artistic activities: a scoping review

“…In addition, quality of life has been examined in relation to participation in numerous artistic disciplines, such as music, dance, theatre, literature and visual arts. A better quality of life was found in those who actively participate (Ho et al 2019 ). Studies on participation in artistic activities highlight the benefits to well-being (Reynolds 2010 ), including spiritual well-being (Ho et al 2019 ; Tzanidaki and Reynolds 2011 ).…”

Associations between participation in community arts groups and aspects of wellbeing in older adults in the United States: A propensity score matching analysis

“…To our knowledge, no previous studies have used propensity score matching to investigate associations between participation in arts groups and wellbeing in older adults. Studies using similar methods in younger adults have found inconsistent evidence for the association between arts engagement and wellbeing, which is likely a result of the measures of arts engagement used, as well as differences in follow-up periods (23,31,32).…”

“…However, even after adjusting for potential confounders, residual imbalance between those who do and do not engage in the arts can still bias results (30). Some studies have employed more sophisticated methods to address this, such as fixed effects regression and propensity score matching, but have not found consistent evidence for the association between arts engagement and wellbeing in younger adults (23,31,32). There are very few studies of these associations specifically in older adults (20–22).…”