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| Id | 189 | |
| Author | Bygren, L.O.; Konlaan, B.B.; Johansson, S.E. | |
| Title | Attendance at cultural events, reading books or periodicals, and making music or singing in a choir as determinants for survival: Swedish interview survey of living conditions | |
| Reference | Bygren LO, Konlaan BB, Johansson SE. Attendance at cultural events, reading books or periodicals, and making music or singing in a choir as determinants for survival: Swedish interview survey of living conditions. BMJ. 1996;313(7072):1577-1580. |
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| Abstract | The importance of stimulating activities is obvious, and there is hardly any need for medical arguments for attending a theatre, cinema, or sports events, for reading books and periodicals, or for making music. Cultural activity might be thought to increase resistance to a broad spectrum of diseases or be the impetus to start dealing with problems. The mechanism for a positive effect could perhaps be that it is inspirational for handling everyday social problems, thus enhancing people's reflection on their life situation and enabling them to prepare for coming events in their mind. More importantly, such activity provides direct vicarious emotional arousal without damage or side effects in real life. And we know that the organism responds with changes in the humoral nervous system—for example, verbal expression of traumatic experiences through writing or talking improves physical health, enhances immune function, and is associated with fewer medical visits. In addition, other gains have been documented in the therapeutic use of music in the treatment of autistic children, as well as the treatment of cancer and other related pain. Pictures of works of art have been used to stimulate older people. Negative effects of cultural activities could be that people lose their sense of reality and identify with asocial models of behaviour and are themselves encouraged towards asocial behaviour. Many of the selective factors determining attendance at different kinds of events are correlated with survival. Educational level is one such factor. Furthermore, disease itself influences the ability to take part in activities and the kinds of activities possible to pursue. Attending cultural events widens a social network and gives the feeling of belonging to a group, and this in itself could be the important determinant of survival. Perhaps cultural behaviour is so intermingled with life as a whole that it is impossible to discern its influence. We investigated the possible influence of cultural stimulation on survival. |
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