Concert junkies, you’re in luck — UK researchers are suggesting that the more concerts you attend equates to a longer life expectancy.
More than 6,000 adults in England who were at least 50-years-old, with the average number of people age 65, participated in a study by the BMJ from 2004 to 2005. Each individual provided details on the number of arts activities they took part in, which included museums, art galleries, and live events like concerts, opera, or theatre shows.
In March 2018, the researchers followed up with the individuals and found that 2,001 people had died by the end of the study. The paper published in the BMJ noted that those who went to arts events at least “every few months” had a 31 percent lower chance of dying during the follow-up period, while that number dropped to 14 percent for those who attended events once or twice a year.
The authors noted that differences in socioeconomic status could take part in why people do and don’t attend cultural activities, although the “association remains independent of socioeconomic status, so this does not fully explain the association.” Additionally, they noted that mental health and cognition cold also play a role.
Arts ultimately lead to a greater chance of survival, the study notes, as the arts are associated with empathy, emotional intelligence, and reducing loneliness. They also simply boost one’s sense of purpose, making a person be active and socialize with others. Even leisure activities like gardening and having a meal outside of your home linked to a boost of longevity.
“Arts engagement could be linked to longevity by alleviating chronic stress and depression, and providing emotional, cognitive, and social coping resources that support biological regulatory systems and behavioral choices,” the authors wrote, noting that “our results highlight the importance of continuing to explore new social factors as core determinants of health.”
A similar study was conducted last year by the famed U.K. music venue O2 and behavioral science expert and lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London, Patrick Fagan. He found that attending concerts helps to increase one’s general well-being, and research showed that people who attended live concerts for just 20 minutes were more likely to score happiness, contentment, productivity, and self-esteem at the highest level. Live concert experiences increased feelings of self worth and closeness to others by 25 percent and mental stimulation by 75 percent. The study noted that concerts could “pave the way for almost a decade more years of your life.”