A trip to the theater, museum or art gallery could help you live longer. And the more often you get that culture fix the better, a new study suggests.

Researchers from University College London (UCL) found that people who engaged in the arts more frequently — every few months or more – had a 31 percent lower risk of dying early when compared to those who didn’t. Even going to the theater or museum once or twice a year was linked with a 14 percent lower risk.

They looked at data given by more than 6,000 adults in England age 50 years and older, who were taking part in a wider study on aging.

“While other health behaviors like smoking, alcohol and exercise are undoubtedly bigger predictors of mortality, these leisure and pleasure activities that people don’t think of as a health related activity do support good health and longevity,” said Daisy Fancourt, an associate professor at UCL’s Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health.

How often an individual engaged in art activities, which also included exhibitions, concerts and opera but not cinema, was measured at the start of the study in 2004 to 2005. Participants were then followed up for an average of 12 years, during which time deaths were recorded using data from the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).

The study looked at a range of economic, health and social factors to try and explain why there is a link between “arts engagement” and living longer, although as an observational study it can’t establish cause. Part of the reason, the study said, comes down to social and economic differences among those who go and don’t go to museums, exhibitions and art galleries.

Wealth, they found, explained about 9 percent of the association. Cognitive differences, social and civic engagement, mental health, mobility and deprivation also played a role. Things like free time and occupational status made no material difference, said Fancourt.

Words to Learn 相关词汇

【死亡率】sǐwáng lǜ mortality the relative frequency of deaths in a specific population; death rate

【认知的】 rènzhī de cognitive of or relating to cognition; concerned with the act or process of knowing, perceiving, etc

最新研究表明，去剧院、博物馆或美术馆看剧或游览能延年益寿，而且去得越多，效果越好。

伦敦大学学院的研究人员发现，与不经常参加艺术活动的人相比，经常参加艺术活动的人（每隔几个月或更长时间去一次）早逝的风险降低了31%。即使每年去一两次剧院或博物馆，早逝风险也能降低14%。

研究人员研究了6000多名50岁以上的英国成年人提供的数据，这些人参与了一项更广泛的衰老研究。

“虽然其他健康行为如吸烟、饮酒和运动无疑更能预测死亡率，但这些人们认为与健康无关的休闲娱乐活动也有利于健康长寿”，伦敦大学学院行为科学和健康研究部门的副教授黛西·范克特说。

在2004年至2005年研究开始时，研究人员统计了每位受访者参加艺术活动（包括展览、音乐会和歌剧，但不包括电影）的频率。随后，研究人员对受访者进行了平均12年的跟踪调查，在此期间，他们使用英国国民健康服务体系的数据记录了受访者的死亡情况。

这项研究考察了一系列经济、健康和社会因素，试图解释为什么“参加艺术活动”和长寿之间存在联系，尽管作为一项观察性研究，它不能确定原因。研究称，部分原因在于是否前去参观博物馆、展览和画廊的人之间存在社会和经济差异。

研究人员发现，财富解释了约9%的关联。认知差异、社会和公民参与、心理健康、流动性、和贫困也起到了作用。范克特说，空闲时间和职业地位等因素并没有产生实质性的影响。

(chinadaily.com.cn)