Work

Advancing observational research on arts and health: theory-informed approaches using the RADIANCE framework

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: In the past decade, there has been increasing observational research into the impacts of arts and cultural engagement on health, drawing on the surprisingly rich phenotyping of these behaviors in observational studies. This, alongside a broader growing evidence base, has led to recent calls from the World Health Organization for the arts to be formally recognized as a health behavior. However, access to the arts is not equitable, so a key challenge in observational research is disentangling any causal effects from this social gradient in engagement. In this paper, we consider five of the key methodological challenges in epidemiological research on arts and health and propose solutions by combining causal inference approaches with a new theoretical framework on the determinants of arts and cultural engagement, which uses a socio-ecological approach to identify multilevel factors influencing patterns of arts behaviors. We end with recommendations for researchers incorporating questions on arts and cultural engagement within the design of longitudinal cohort studies.

Source: American Journal of Epidemiology

Authors: Daisy Fancourt, Jessica K Bone

Institution: University College London

Language: English

Topic: Art Therapy and Mental Health

Subfield: Conservation

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $4,856

Funder: British Academy