Does arts and cultural group participation influence subsequent well-being? A longitudinal cross-country comparison of older adults in Japan and England

Arts engagement is a positive health behaviour that could support the mental and social well-being of ageing populations globally. However, research is predominantly from Western countries, leaving it unclear whether arts engagement can support well-being in Japan, where arts are differently valued and engaged with. The social gradient in arts engagement and well-being may also have led to an overestimation of the impact of participation on well-being in Western countries. We therefore tested whether participation in community arts and cultural groups was associated with subjective well-being and social support after removing confounding by demographic, socioeconomic and health-related factors in Japan and England.