How does visiting theaters and art galleries protect you from dementia?

Some may be keen to visit theaters and art galleries with the aim of spending quality time in seeing various art cases, but what many people do not know is that regular visits to art galleries protect the risk of premature death, due to physical and cognitive activity and social interaction, according to British experts.

In a report published by the Russian newspaper "Gazeta", the editor, Ala Salkova, stated that in a report issued by the British Medical Journal, experts from the University of London College reported that participating in cultural events or mastering a specific art are among the things that help prevent many diseases starting from depression. Dementia through to relieve chronic pain and reduce stress levels.

The author explains that passion for art stimulates cognitive activity and promotes social activity, which reduces the risk of suffering from loneliness.

In contrast, only a few studies concerned the negative impact of visiting museums, concerts and exhibitions, and those studies included residents of Scandinavia, and it is not yet clear whether their results apply to residents of other regions.

On the other hand, during the observation period, the researchers considered many factors related to the participants ’health, such as blood pressure, chronic diseases, bad habits, mental disorders, visual acuity and hearing, as well as their social activities, such as membership in charitable organizations, sitting with family and visiting holy places.

As a result, it became clear that people who visited theaters, galleries and other places designated for cultural activities once in a few months were 14% less likely to die prematurely.

In contrast, the death rate drops by 31% for those who visited cultural sites at least once a month.

Cognitive abilities
Meanwhile, researchers mentioned that these factors may be among other factors that affect life expectancy.

The scholars attributed the relationship between interest in artistic activities and longevity to the effect of these activities on cognitive abilities, stimulating social interaction and physical activity regardless of gender.

According to the study, attending cultural events contributed to extending the life of people over the age of 65, noting that factors such as marital status, educational level, and welfare did not affect the results.

In the same context, the researchers emphasize that talking about a direct causal relationship between attending cultural activities and longevity is futile, and there may be unknown factors that should be studied well to determine the underlying relationship between love of art and longevity.

In general, the results of the study indicate the importance of continuing to study the effect of new social factors on health.

And the writer quotes Dr. Nicholas Gail as saying, "The existence of places open to the public and easily accessible and help to increase the life expectancy is not a fantasy but a reality, as the study deepens our understanding of the health benefits of art."

In conclusion, the author indicated that the researchers mentioned that they did not consider all the cases in which the participants attended cultural events, and therefore could not say for sure how the combination of these hobbies affects the life expectancy, but they studied the impact of interest in art only on the elderly.