Health boost from armchair rugby

Bad news for rugby widows - simply watching a sport or cultural event can boost a man's physical and mental health, a new study shows.

Women, however, seem to benefit more from taking part in creative activities rather than just observing them.

The Norwegian study asked 50,797 adults what creative and cultural activities they took part in, and also how happy and healthy they felt.

The researchers found that people who visited art galleries, museums, the theatre and sports events or played musical instruments, painted or sang regularly tended to enjoy better health and were more satisfied with life.

They were less likely to be depressed or anxious than those who did not engage in cultural activities.

But the study found the effect was more pronounced in men who were interested in watching and looking at culture rather than taking part.

The study divided cultural activities into creative and receptive. In the creative category, people are actively engaging in the process - singing, painting or playing an instrument.

Receptive cultural activities are visiting art exhibitions, listening to music in concert halls or watching sports matches.

The authors wrote: "Men who engaged specifically in receptive, rather than creative, cultural activities, reported better health-related outcomes. On the other hand, it seems that attending receptive cultural activities is associated less with good health than participating in creative cultural activities in women."

Women who took part in singing groups, art classes or learning a musical instrument seemed to be healthier than those that did not.

The more the respondents participated in the activities, the better they reported their mental wellbeing and physical health to be.

The researchers concluded that doctors and policymakers should promote cultural activities as a way of lowering stress.

The research found that cultural participation was strongly linked to socioeconomic status. However, it concluded that the arts were beneficial regardless of other factors that might influence health and happiness - including how much someone earned.

The findings were published yesterday in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

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