Those who regularly visit museums, theaters, concerts, and movie theaters may be doing more than having fun. New research suggests that these cultural activities are associated with younger physiological age, meaning the body may function more like a younger person.
The survey results are Journal of Epidemiology and Community Healththere is growing evidence that staying socially and culturally active may play an important role in healthy aging.
Cultural activities and biological aging
Everyone ages, but the rate at which the body ages differs from person to person. Physiological age reflects how well a person’s body is functioning and may differ from chronological age, which is simply the number of years a person has lived.
Previous research has shown that cultural activities, such as going to the movies, museums, and live performances, are associated with improved health and well-being in older adults. However, relatively few studies have investigated whether these activities are related to physiological aging itself.
Researchers at Japan’s Tokyo Institute of Science say they have conducted the first longitudinal study to examine this relationship, taking into account unmeasured factors that are stable over time.
How aging was measured in studies
The research team analyzed data from 1,899 adults who took part in the British Longitudinal Study of Aging, an ongoing population-based study of a nationally representative sample of adults aged 50 and over living in the UK.
Participants provided data during at least two survey waves conducted in 2004/2005, 2006/2007, or 2008/2009.
To estimate physiological age, nurses measured 10 indicators of physical health, including pulse pressure, diastolic blood pressure, forced expiratory volume, hemoglobin concentration, fibrinogen, glycated hemoglobin, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), grip strength, and walking speed. These measurements were combined into a single physiological age score.
Participants also reported how often they went to (a) a movie theater, (b) a museum or gallery, and (c) a theater, concert, or opera. Each activity was scored on a scale from 0 (never) to 5 (more than once per month), producing a total cultural engagement score ranging from 0 to 15.
Involvement in high culture associated with younger bodies
The mean physiological age of those with higher levels of cultural engagement, defined as participating in cultural activities at least every few months, was 66.9 years. By comparison, the average age of menstruation for those with lower levels of participation was 69.9 years, a difference of about 3 years.
Participants with higher cultural engagement were found to be more likely to be female, have a higher socio-economic status, be employed, and already have good overall health.
After adjusting for factors such as household income, employment, and chronic health conditions, the researchers found that each point increase in cultural engagement score was associated with a decrease in physiological age by 0.085 years (31 days).
Why are cultural activities important?
The researchers suggest several possible explanations for this association. Cultural activities can strengthen social connections, promote healthier lifestyle habits, and support better mental health, all of which may contribute to delaying physiological aging.
Because this study is observational, it cannot determine whether cultural activities directly slow aging. The authors also point to the possibility of reverse causality, meaning that healthier people may be more likely to participate in cultural events.
Still, they argue that cultural engagement is a modifiable behavior that can be an effective public health strategy. “Notably, the effects can be comparable to frequent physical activity,” they wrote.
Researchers also say that making cultural events more geographically and economically accessible could allow more people to participate.
Additional research is needed to determine whether encouraging greater cultural engagement will lead to sustained improvements in long-term health and healthier aging.
