Those who visit at least one museum or exhibition a year live longer: says a study by University College London

Now you have one more reason to visit exhibitions and museums frequently: a study by University College London, the prestigious London-based university, in fact finds that people who visit at least one exhibition or museum a year live longer. The British institute’s team of researchers surveyed 6,710 people across England (all subjects aged 50 or older) and concluded that there is a correlation between how often people enjoy art andlife expectancy.The results of the study were published Dec. 18 in the British Medical Journal, a leading scientific medical journal.

“While previous studies have shown that there is a relationship between art enjoyment and the prevention of disorders of the mind and body, such as depression, dementia, chronic pain and weakness,” the study reads, “it remained to be clarified whether art gives benefits on life expectancy [...]. In the context of health research, art enjoyment may be associated with longevity in that it relieves stress and depression, provides emotional, cognitive and social resources that support biological regulatory systems and behavioral choices. Art enjoyment also enriches social capital and reduces loneliness, which is associated with mortality. What’s more, it can support the preservation of cognitive faculties and promotes empathy, understanding, and emotional intelligence, all of which are linked to increased chances of survival. In addition, it can help reduce sedentary behaviors, contributing to cardiovascular health and immune system function, and it can also help reduce engagement in risky behaviors. Art enjoyment is also related to a higher perception of one’s life purpose, another characteristic associated with better immune function and healthy behaviors [...]. There are therefore strong theoretical reasons to suggest that art enjoyment may be related to the longevity of individuals.”

The University College London study analyzed the habits of respondents and found that for those who go to at least one cultural event a year, the risk of early death is reduced by 14 percent compared to the figure for those who never visit museums or exhibitions. And the more people attend, the lower the risk: those who attend art events more frequently (monthly or more) have a risk that drops by up to 31 percent. University College physicians have also tried to explain why this relationship exists, noting that the association between art and longevity can be explained on the basis of cognitive, mental and physical differences between those who attend exhibitions and museums and those who do not (the former would have demonstrated more social and civic engagement, greater mobility, healthier behaviors). But this association was often found to be independent of external factors.

The article therefore concludes that there seems to be an association between frequency of art enjoyment and longevity (although, the doctors point out, “this was an observational study so we cannot assume a causal relationship”), but many questions remain open: for example, the potential of creating art (composing music, painting or dancing) was not studied, and the analysis did not consider subjects’ habits over long periods. In any case, explain the University College physicians, “our results highlight the importance of continuing to explore new social factors as determinants of health.” Indeed, studies in this area are growing, and this is also evidenced in some countries (UK, Denmark, Canada) by the recent introduction of the enjoyment of art as a therapy to alleviate certain mental illnesses, or even simply the presence of artwork in hospitals, which is reported to have ensured greater patient satisfaction and positive outcomes in their healing journeys.

Those who visit at least one museum or exhibition a year live longer: says a study by University College London

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