Key findings of the report
- Participation in arts, creative and cultural activities is associated with higher quality of life and lower levels of depression, stress, worry and loneliness.
- Older adults who have previously participated but no longer do, report lower levels of quality of life and higher levels of depression and loneliness compared to those who currently participate
- Older adults who have never participated report lower quality of life and higher levels of stress and worry compared to those who currently participate
- There are long-term associations between higher quality of life and participation
- Women are more likely to participate in arts, creative and cultural activities than men, with 62% of women current or past participants compared to 46% of men
- Higher education attainment is associated with participation. Older adults with third level education are over five times more likely to participate compared to those with primary level education.
- Participation rates are highest in Dublin city and county and lower in more rural counties such as counties Kerry, Cavan, Monaghan, and Westmeath.
- The most popular type of arts, creative and cultural activity was listening to, playing or teaching music, with 52% of participants engaging in this activity.
- The strongest motivation for participation was interest in the activity, followed by enjoyment/fun and then social aspects/benefits.
- The most frequent location for participation was a private home followed by community centers.
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