Arts Participation in Canadian Older Adults During COVID-19

Authors

Kate Dupuis, Sheridan CollegeFollow
Emma Bender, Western University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2022

Keywords

aging; arts; COVID-19; participation; mental health; social interaction; technology

Abstract

Arts participation can be incredibly beneficial for the health and well-being of older adults. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many arts organizations were unable to provide in-person activities, and moved to alternate forms of program delivery. We examined whether and how Canadian older adults continued participating in the arts during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A 28-item survey was completed by 141 individuals (M = 70.5 years, range = 55-94, 66% female). Although the majority of respondents (70%) were engaging in the arts during the first wave of the pandemic, their engagement had declined compared to pre-pandemic times. More than half the respondents indicated that participating in the arts during the pandemic benefitted their well-being. These data support a model of care in which arts engagement can be viewed as an innovative and accessible health promotion strategy for older Canadians, during the pandemic and beyond.

Faculty

Sheridan Research

Copyright

© Sheridan Research

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Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Original Publication Citation

Dupuis, K., Bender, E. (2022). Arts participation in Canadian older adults during COVID-19. Sheridan Research.

SOURCE Citation

Dupuis, Kate and Bender, Emma, "Arts Participation in Canadian Older Adults During COVID-19" (2022). Arts Participation in Canadian Older Adults. 2.
https://source.sheridancollege.ca/centres_elder_arts_participation/2