Predictors of arts engagement in older adults in Japan: novel findings from a national study and cross-cultural comparisons with the United States

Abstract

IntroductionArts engagement is a positive health behavior that could support the wellbeing of aging populations globally. However, there is no evidence on what predicts arts engagement in Japan or how predictors in Japan compare to Western countries such as the US, where a social gradient in engagement is well-established.MethodsWe harmonized cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES) 2016 wave and the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS) 2016/2018 wave, enabling cross-country comparisons. We included adults aged ≥65 from JAGES (n=15,598) and HRS (n=6,644). We tested factors associated with arts engagement (participation in artistic hobbies and groups) in logistic and mixed effects logistic regression models.ResultsSimilar factors were associated with engagement across countries. In both Japan and the US, participants who were female and had higher education, more total assets, more frequent social contact, and fewer difficulties with instrumental activities of daily living had higher odds of arts engagement. However, further factors were associated with engagement in Japan, but not the US, including employment status and neighborhood social cohesion.ConclusionThe social gradient in arts engagement in Western countries such as the US is also present in Japan, despite the differing cultural and social context, but there may be additional barriers to participation in Japan. Given the potential benefits of arts engagement for older adults, our findings indicate the importance of further international research and policies to increase access to the arts, reducing inequalities in engagement for older adults globally.

Arts and cultural group participation and subsequent wellbeing: A comparison of older adults in Japan and England using doubly robust estimators

“…Those who share a social identity are more likely to give and receive social support, thus increasing the perceived social support of group members (Haslam et al, 2009). In Japan, these associations were only present in females, which may be because they are more likely to participate in arts and cultural groups (Bone et al, 2023). This may also reflect gender differences in social support and social networks as people age.…”

“…Additionally, across Western countries and Japan, people with higher education and socioeconomic position are more likely to engage in the arts (Bone et al, 2021(Bone et al, , 2023Mak et al, 2020). As there are similar socioeconomic disparities in wellbeing (Ryff, 2017), previous research in Western countries may have overestimated the impact of arts engagement on wellbeing due to confounding.…”