Sport and dance interventions for healthy young people (15-24 years) to promote subjective well-being: a systematic review

Benefits of an online group dance program for adolescents' social bonding and wellbeing

INTRODUCTION

The Covid-19 pandemic and its ensuing effects on mental health made it clearer than ever that social bonds are critical for survival, flourishing, and mental wellbeing. Experimental laboratory-based research with children and adults shows that activities involving movement alignment and joint action, such as dance, can facilitate social bonds.

METHODS

This study examined whether an online group dance intervention positively affects social bonding and wellbeing using a randomized control design. Participants were 58 UK adolescents aged 11-16 years (N = 52 girls, 75% White, 7% Asian/Asian British, 18% Mixed-Other), randomly assigned to an online intervention or waitlist control group. Participants in the intervention group completed an online 5-week hip-hop dance program during the Covid-19 pandemic in January to February 2021. Measures of social bonding, wellbeing, and future orientation were taken at the beginning and end of the program.

RESULTS

Linear mixed model analyses examining group × timepoint interaction showed greater increase in social bonding (p < .0001), and wellbeing (p < .0001) in the intervention vs control group. Moreover, increases in bonding significantly predicted increases in wellbeing (p < .0001), and increases in bonding (p = .03) and wellbeing (p = .0002) significantly predicted increases in the adolescents' hope for the future.

CONCLUSIONS

These data, collected at a time of mass social isolation, show that a 5-week-long online dance activity can help adolescents forge stronger social bonds, and improve their wellbeing and future orientation. Our findings suggest that the wellbeing and future orientation benefits of group dance may stem from having stronger social connectedness, opening up avenues for future research and interventions.

Does exercise adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic contribute to improved subjective well-being? A cross-sectional study

Introduction

This study aims to investigate whether exercise adherence and positive mental character significantly affect subjective well-being among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether positive mental character plays a mediating role.

Methods

The study employed questionnaires, including the Exercise Adherence Scale, the Positive Mental Character Scale, and the Subjective Well-Being Scale, which were administered to students across seven universities in Henan Province, China. A total of 1,001 participants were analyzed in the final sample. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.0 for descriptive statistics, independent samples T-test, correlation, and regression analyses. Furthermore, structural equation model with AMOS was conducted to examine the potential mediating effect of positive mental characteristics on the relationship between exercise adherence and subjective well-being.

Results

The results indicated significant differences in exercise adherence, positive mental character, and subjective well-being between male and female participants, with males scoring higher in all three domains. Among Chinese university students during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a significant correlation among exercise adherence, positive mental character, and subjective well-being. Exercise adherence was found to have a significant and positive impact on both positive mental character and subjective well-being. Additionally, it was found that positive mental character had a significant positive association with subjective well-being. The mediating role of positive mental character in the relationship between exercise adherence and subjective well-being was partially supported.

Discussion

Exercise adherence among Chinese college students had a significant positive association on both positive mental character and subjective well-being throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The exercise adherence can directly or indirectly enhance subjective well-being through its association with positive mental character. Therefore, positive mental and subjective well-being can be enhanced by consistent physical activity even during a pandemic.

Physical Exercise and Life Satisfaction of Urban Residents in China

Currently, an increasing number of Chinese urban citizens are participating in daily physical exercise. Existing research has shown that physical exercise can increase life satisfaction. However, some studies also suggest that the relationship between the two is unstable. The purposes of this study are to examine physical exercise and to test its correlation with life satisfaction of urban residents in China. Data are obtained from the 2018 China Family Panel Studies, and we focus on urban residents. Our overall sample size is 7423 people, including 3641 females (49.05%) and 3782 males (50.95%), with an average age of 49.55 years old. Because the dependent variables are continuous variables, the multiple linear regression model is used for data analysis. We find that the life satisfaction of Chinese urban residents is on the high side. Our core discovery is that there is a significant positive relationship between the frequency and duration of physical exercise and life satisfaction. Our further discovery is that the frequency of physical exercise affects life satisfaction by influencing popularity and positive emotions. Similarly, the duration of physical exercise affects life satisfaction by influencing popularity and positive emotions. Whether it is the frequency or the duration of physical exercise, it can reflect the residents' attention to physical exercise. Physical exercise habits not only promote physical health by strengthening physical fitness but also promote mental health by alleviating depression and promote social communication by increasing social activities in the Chinese context. All of these can improve people's life satisfaction. Our research suggests that the improvement in life satisfaction not only needs the abundance of external material conditions but also needs the individual to improve their physical and mental health through physical exercise.

An Evaluation of the Sharing Dance Public School Program on Physical Literacy

Introduction: Physical literacy (PL) is a multidimensional concept that includes the domains of movement competence, positive affect, social participation, and the confidence, motivation, and knowledge and understanding necessary for regular engagement in physical activity. The Sharing Dance Public School Program was created by Canada's National Ballet School specifically designed to promote PL through dance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the program to improve PL in grade 4 to 6 children over the course of a school year. Methods: Children were initially recruited from two schools including an intervention and a control school. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection was prematurely terminated which resulted in baseline and mid-point data from the intervention group only. As such, participants included 57 children (n = 28 females, Mage = 10.34 ± 0.85 years) that engaged in the dance program once per week for 50 minutes. Assessments of PL included a direct measure of movement competence (PLAYfun) and a self-report measure (survey) to assess the other domains of PL. Results: Significant improvements were found in movement competence. However, significant decreases were found for fun and enjoyment, confidence, and social participation. No changes were observed for knowledge and understanding or overall PL. Conclusions: Findings from the present study are encouraging as they provide initial evidence for the support of community-based PL programs, such as the Sharing Dance Public School Program, to help children develop their movement competence. Future research is needed to further evaluate the effectiveness of the Sharing Dance Public School Program over a school year, and when compared to a control group, as was initially intended.

The bright side of sports: a systematic review on well-being, positive emotions and performance

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review regarding the relationship between positive psychological factors, such as psychological well-being and pleasant emotions, and sports performance.

METHOD

This study, carried out through a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines considering the Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed and SPORT Discus databases, seeks to highlight the relationship between other more 'positive' factors, such as well-being, positive emotions and sports performance.

SETTINGS

The keywords will be decided by a Delphi Method in two rounds with sport psychology experts.

PARTICIPANTS

There are no participants in the present research.

ASSESSMENT

The main exclusion criteria were: Non-sport thema, sample younger or older than 20-65 years old, qualitative or other methodology studies, COVID-related, journals not exclusively about Psychology.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

We obtained a first sample of 238 papers, and finally, this sample was reduced to the final sample of 11 papers.

RESULTS

The results obtained are intended to be a representation of the 'bright side' of sports practice, and as a complement or mediator of the negative variables that have an impact on athletes' and coaches' performance.

CONCLUSIONS

Clear recognition that acting on intrinsic motivation continues to be the best and most effective way to motivate oneself to obtain the highest levels of performance, a good perception of competence and a source of personal satisfaction.

Expanding the social cure: a mixed-methods approach exploring the role of online group dance as support for young people (aged 16-24) living with anxiety

There is an increased interest in whether online arts interventions support mental health and social connections. This study explored eight weeks of online group dance as support for young people (aged 16-24) living with anxiety. The applicability of the 'social cure' theoretical framework to the novel context of an online dance class was sought. The study utilised an embedded QUAL+quan design, incorporating participatory focus group discussions (n = 3 groups; n = 11 participants) and one-on-one interviews (n = 2 participants), creative reflections (n = 16 participants) and ethnographic fieldnotes, and a repeated measures design with surveys at three timepoints (week 1, n = 27; week 4, n = 18; week 8, n = 14). Thematic analysis identified two overarching themes demonstrating how the dance classes (i) provided the opportunity to co-construct a meaningful shared identity and (ii) supported holistic wellbeing. The quantitative findings supported this, suggesting lower anxiety, depression, and loneliness and higher wellbeing, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and group closeness. This study expands the social cure to its application to an online dance context for the first time.

Development and testing the feasibility of a sports-based mental health promotion intervention in Nepal: a protocol for a pilot cluster-randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Mental wellbeing encompasses life satisfaction, social connectedness, agency and resilience. In adolescence, mental wellbeing reduces sexual health risk behaviours, substance use and violence; improves educational outcomes; and protects mental health in adulthood. Mental health promotion seeks to improve mental wellbeing and can include activities to engage participants in sport. However, few high-quality trials of mental health promotion interventions have been conducted with adolescents, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We sought to address this gap by testing SMART (Sports-based Mental heAlth pRomotion for adolescenTs) in a pilot cluster-randomised controlled trial (cRCT) in Bardiya, Nepal.

METHODS

The objectives of the trial are to assess the acceptability and feasibility of SMART, test trial procedures, explore outcome distributions in intervention and control clusters and calculate the total annual cost of the intervention and unit cost per adolescent. The trial design is a parallel-group, two-arm superiority pilot cRCT with a 1:1 allocation ratio and two cross-sectional census surveys with adolescents aged 12-19, one pre-intervention (baseline) and one post-intervention (endline). The study area is four communities of approximately 1000 population (166 adolescents per community). Each community represents one cluster. SMART comprises twice weekly football, martial arts and dance coaching, open to all adolescents in the community, led by local sports coaches who have received psychosocial training. Sports melas (festivals) and theatre performances will raise community awareness about SMART, mental health and the benefits of sport. Adolescents in control clusters will participate in sport as usual. In baseline and endline surveys, we will measure mental wellbeing, self-esteem, self-efficacy, emotion regulation, social support, depression, anxiety and functional impairment. Using observation checklists, unstructured observation and attendance registers from coaching sessions, and minutes of meetings between coaches and supervisors, we will assess intervention fidelity, exposure and reach. In focus group discussions and interviews with coaches, teachers, caregivers and adolescents, we will explore intervention acceptability and mechanisms of change. Intervention costs will be captured from monthly project accounts, timesheets and discussions with staff members.

DISCUSSION

Findings will identify elements of the intervention and trial procedures requiring revision prior to a full cRCT to evaluate the effectiveness of SMART.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN, ISRCTN15973986 , registered on 6 September 2022; ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05394311 , registered 27 May 2022.

Associations of sport participation with subjective well-being: a study consisting of a sample of Chinese school-attending students

Purpose

Past studies have illustrated that the impact of sports participation on school-attending students' well-being plays a significant role in the life course of adolescence, which is a golden period for developing sound psychological qualities. However, the relationship between sports participation and subjective well-being is not clear, particularly in Chinese primary and middle schools. Therefore, the current study was aimed to explore the relationship between sports participation and subjective well-being in elementary and middle schools in China.

Method

All involved children and adolescents were asked to conduct a self-report of their sociodemographic factors (e.g., sex, grade, and age), independence, and outcomes. The survey involved a two-stage sampling design (district school). Besides, in order to examine the relationship between participation in sports and subjective well-being, a self-report questionnaire was used. Logistic regression with 95% confidence interval and odds ratios (ORs), was conducted to investigate the relationship between sports participation and subjective well-being.

Results

A total of 67,281 participants in total provided complete data for the final analysis of the current study. The percentage of boys and girls was 51.9% and 48.1%, namely. The current study found that compared with children who never participate in sports, those children who participated sports in 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 times a week and above were more likely to enjoy better well-being. Compared with children who never participate in sports, those children who in every grade participated sports in 1-3 times a month, 1-2 times a week, and 3 times a week and above were more likely to achieve better well-being.

Conclusion

Our current study offered the positive effect of sports participation on children and adolescents' subjective well-being. For schools and governments, further studies are needed to focus on sports participation and positive feedback on adolescents' mental health, and the three parties' endeavors should be intervened.

Effects of Online Video Sport Spectatorship on the Subjective Well-Being of College Students: The Moderating Effect of Sport Involvement

Individuals' engagement in sports and sport-related entertainment is reported to improve their subjective well-being (SWB). We investigated whether online video sport spectatorship (OVSS) enhances the SWB of college students and whether sport involvement moderates the correlation between OVSS and SWB. For this, a pretest-posttest experimental design with a 3-week-long intervention (OVSS) was adopted. Two groups, intervention and control, were formed. The findings revealed that OVSS improved SWB (p = 0.017). Furthermore, sport involvement moderated the correlation between OVSS and SWB (p = 0.024). Specifically, participants with high levels of sport involvement in the intervention group exhibited better SWB (M = 5.51) than did the corresponding controls (M = 4.69). By contrast, among participants with low levels of sport involvement, only the intervention group showed improved SWB; however, it remained unchanged in the control group. The present study enriches the relevant literature and provides empirical evidence for the psychological benefits conferred by OVSS. Our findings may serve as a reference for designing interventions aimed at improving individuals' overall quality of life.

Fitness Dance Counteracts Female Ph.D. Candidates' Stress by Affecting Emotion Regulation

Background: The impact of stress on the nation's physical and mental health is considerable. Exercise is considered to have beneficial effects on mental health and the capacity for coping with stress. The purpose of this study is to verify the effects of fitness dance intervention on female Ph.D. candidates' stress, and compare it with the intervention effects of MBSR. Method: A repeated measurement experimental design was used to evaluate the effects of fitness dance and MBSR on Chinese female Ph.D. candidates' stress. Results: Twelve weeks of fitness dance and MBSR can reduce participants' stress from severe to moderate. Eight weeks of fitness dance can reduce the tension from perceived stress (p = 0.019) and loss of control from perceived stress (p = 0.043). Twelve weeks of fitness dance can reduce the tension from perceived stress (p < 0.000), loss of control from perceived stress (p = 0.002) and perceived stress (p = 0.001). Fitness dance and MBSR affect emotion regulation, thereby affecting stress. Fitness dance reduced participants' stress by improving their cognitive reappraisal ability. MBSR reduced participants' stress by improving their cognitive reappraisal ability and expression suppression ability. Conclusions: Fitness dance, as a method of exercise intervention, is suitable for reducing Chinese female Ph.D. candidates' stress.

An opinion mining methodology to analyse games for health

Despite the positive impact of games for health on players' health, users tend to stop playing them after a short period of time, leading benefits to fade. It is therefore important to understand how to sustain interest and, in this way, preserve the health benefits of games for health. This could be achieved by continuously reviewing user feedback after product launch and using this information to inform (re)design and better address user needs. With the growth of social media, user opinions became widely available in public forums. This abundance of information affords us the possibility of, through the application of natural language processing and sentiment analysis techniques, tapping into user opinions and automatically analysing and extracting knowledge from them. This paper introduces a methodology that analyses user comments posted on YouTube about the Just Dance game, to automatically extract information about Usability, User Experience (UX), and Perceived Health Impacts related to Quality of Life (H-QoL). In doing so, the methodology uses a pre-established vocabulary, based on the English lexicon and its semantic relations, to annotate the presence of 38 concepts (five of Usability, 18 of UX, and 15 of H-QoL) and to analyse sentiment. The results of the information extraction and processing are displayed on a dashboard that allows for the exploration and browsing of the results, which can be useful to better understand the opinions and impacts perceived by users and to inform the (re)design of games for health. The methodology proposed builds upon over 500,000 user comments collected from over 32,000 videos.

A survey of contextual factors and psychological needs satisfaction as correlates of youth athletes' developmental outcomes in the Ethiopian sports academy context

Background

This study examined the contextual factors associated with psychological need satisfaction (PNS) and the predictability of the PNS components, together with the contextual factors, on the developmental outcomes of elite young athletes in the Ethiopian sports academies, and further identified differences in perception of PNS from a comparative perspective. The study used a cross-sectional survey design applying developmental and PNS theories as guiding frameworks. Samples of elite young Ethiopian athletes participated (n = 257, 47.47% were women with a mean age of 17.44 years and SD = 0.87, and 52.53% were men with a mean age of 18.25 years and SD = 1.14).

Results

Structural equation modeling showed that the three PNS domains, together with the five contextual factors positively predicted the three developmental outcomes measured (41–54% explained variance). Moreover, there were higher differences in PNS (0.55 ≤ Cohen’s d ≥ 0.71) among young athletes classified by the sport types.

Discussion

As per the findings of this study, young athletes may differ in the levels of PNS they obtained depending on the type of sports enrolled in sports academies. Also, the results of this study indicated that PNS attained may be modestly influenced by some contextual factors. It also evidenced that those developmental outcomes in elite young athletes are significantly positively associated with contextual and PNS factors. Stakeholders such as young athlete coaches, parents, sports psychologists, and administrators must consider the differing implications of program type during the elite young athletes’ participation in sports academics and the significant positive association between contextual factors, PNS, and developmental outcomes of elite young athletes.

Conclusions

In sum, the PNS of youth athletes may differ across sports types and the talent development of elite young athletes should emphasize the individual nature of the processes. Also, it can be concluded that the PNS components than the contextual factors had higher predictions of developmental outcomes.

Comparing Community-based Intergenerational Activities in Israel: Participants, Programs, and Perceived Outcomes

This study investigated whether the content of different community-based intergenerational programs (IGPs) affects their perceived impact on older and younger participants. Data were collected through direct structured questionnaires administered to 84 older, and 96 younger participants, and were assessed using both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Different IGP types involved participants with differing background characteristics and were associated with different benefits and challenges. In art programs, older participants reported being more active and younger participants indicated more awareness of others, but also greater stress. Learning programs contributed to older persons' happiness, and younger persons' acquisition of new skills, but were also associated with divergent expectations between young and old, and a perception that young participants lacked commitment. Assistance programs attracted older participants with greater needs, and were associated with such benefits as alleviating older persons' loneliness, improving younger participants' satisfaction from helping, but also involved challenges pertaining to the relationship termination. Generally, older participants reported more benefits than younger persons. The results highlight the need to differentiate between IGP types, a distinction not addressed in previous studies. The combination of activity content and participant characteristics and needs may lead to different perceived program impacts.

The Physiological and Psychological Benefits of Dance and its Effects on Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Background: The aim of this review was to examine the physiological and psychological benefits of dance and its effects on children and adolescents. We consider the therapeutic benefits of dance and outline the potential of dance as an alternative therapy for certain pathologies and medical disorders. Secondly, we summarize the types of dances used in physical interventions, and comment on the methodologies used. Finally, we consider the use of dance as a different exercise modality that may have benefits for increased physical activity generally, and for increased physical education provision in schools.

Methods: A structured search strategy was conducted using the databases of PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of science, PsycARTICLES, and Social Science database. This review used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for systematic reviews. Studies that were published in the past 20 years were considered for inclusion. All written publications were searched for in English, and all articles included in this review were peer reviewed full papers.

Conclusion: The key findings from this review indicate that dance is a feasible alternative to traditional physical activity. The findings also indicate that dance provides physiological and psychological benefits to healthy and medically compromised populations. Implementation of dance programs in schools and society generally needs serious consideration by policy makers. We hope that the results of this review stimulate debate and provide the necessary evidence to profile dance as a viable alternative medium of physical activity. Comprehensive and integrated changes will be needed including economical and legislative support from politicians and associated governmental agencies. The findings reported here are important and have implications for health policy change, reconfiguration, and implementation.

Response to college students' mental health needs: a rapid review

OBJECTIVE

To present strategic options to support the adoption of mental health strengthening policies for university students in the field of health, to be implemented by university institutions.

METHODS

Rapid review, without period delimitation, with searches carried out from May to June 2020, in 21 sources of bibliographic data, including gray literature. The following keywords were used: mental health, students and university. The selection process prioritized systematic reviews of mental health interventions for university students in health care courses, and also considered other types of review and relevant primary studies.

RESULTS

Forty-five studies were included: 34 systematic reviews, an evidence synthesis, an overview, a scope review, three narrative reviews, three experience reports and two opinion articles. The evidence from these studies supported the development of four options: 1) to establish and support policies to strengthen the mental health of students in health care courses; 2) to integrate mental health care programs, expand their offer and facilitate access by students; 3) to promote educational programs and communication strategies related to contemporary psychic suffering and its confrontation, so that students can get to know the services and resources and identify strengthening practices; 4) to continuously monitor and assess the mental health needs of students in health care courses.

CONCLUSIONS

The options are challenging and require universities to establish institutional commissions to implement a policy to strengthen the mental health of university students in the health area, with the ability to recognize the different health needs, including manifestations of psychic suffering ; to integrate the university's internal actions with each other and with the services of the Unified Health System; to implement and monitor the actions that make up the mental health policy.

The Impact of Social Support and Pregnancy on Subjective Well-Being: A Systematic Review

Background: Subjective well-being (SWB) has a protective role in mental health maintenance and is prone to change during short stressful moments, such as pregnancy. Longstanding research suggests that social support (SS) from the partner and family members of pregnant women directly or indirectly acts as a buffer against negative mental outcomes. For happier pregnancies, it is important to understand how SS and pregnancy affect the SWB. Objective: This review aims to examine the extended association of being pregnant and SS on the SWB of pregnant women. Methods: A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Articles published in peer-reviewed journals were included regardless of the year and if they had assessed the impact of at least one SWB or SS outcome among healthy pregnant women. The tools of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute were used for quality assessment. Results: Thirty-four studies that assessed the domains of SWB measurements, such as happiness, quality of life (QoL), life satisfaction, positive and negative effects, and well-being, were included and its association with either pregnancy or SS was summarized. Variable results, such as life satisfaction, happiness, and mental component of QoL, were found to be high during pregnancy, but positive emotion and physical components of QoL had decreased. Almost universally, SS during pregnancy was found to have a positive association with all measurements of SWB. Conclusion: This study had found that, despite some arising trends, pregnancy itself does not necessarily have similar impacts on SWB across healthy pregnant women. However, SS had a significant effect on SWB.

The individual, place, and wellbeing - a network analysis

BACKGROUND

Previous research has examined individual-level and place characteristics as correlates of subjective wellbeing, with many studies concluding that individual factors (e.g. health, finances) are more strongly related to wellbeing. However, this 'dualistic' approach has been challenged, with some arguing that it is impossible to disentangle the effects of the two domains, and that wellbeing should be considered as part of a network of mutually reinforcing relationships between individual, community and place characteristics. We used network analysis to explore these complex associations.

METHODS

Data were from a large sample of adults from a socioeconomically disadvantaged region of the United Kingdom (N = 4319). Wellbeing was assessed using the 7-item version of the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS). Mixed graphical networks were estimated including wellbeing, place and individual-characteristic variables as nodes.

RESULTS

We found a densely connected network in which wellbeing was associated, both directly and indirectly, with all of the individual, community and place characteristics assessed. Wellbeing was most strongly connected with individual characteristics, in particular financial difficulty and subjective physical health. However, controlling for all other variables in the network model, wellbeing was positively associated with local greenspace usage, civic agency, and neighbourhood cohesion, and negatively associated with housing disrepair. Greater specificity in these associations was observed when the wellbeing construct was broken down into its constituent parts.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the complex relationships that exist between individual, community and place characteristics in the context of subjective wellbeing, and that all domains need to be considered when developing population-level strategies to improve wellbeing. Further consideration needs to be given to how this might happen in practice, for example through a combination of consistent use of community engagement methodologies alongside Health in All Policy (HiAP) approaches.

Mental Well-Being or Ill-Being through Coaching in Adult Grassroots Sport: A Systematic Mapping Review

There is convincing evidence on the effects of sport and exercise on mental health and well-being. Less evidence is provided about how to achieve these benefits in the context of grassroots sport coaching. We systematically reviewed the scientific literature of three databases to narratively synthesize the current knowledge about which coaching-related factors influence well-being or ill-being, and how to promote mental health in adult athletes through sport coaches. The review includes 52 studies with different methodological and theoretical approaches and mental health outcomes. The wide range of themes were mapped and synthesized within two clusters, i.e., coaching behavior, antecedents, and context; and coach–athlete relationship and social support. The results highlight the importance of the promotion of empowering environments, autonomy-supportive coaching behavior, and coach–athlete relationship quality that relate to the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. The review also calls for a critical perspective, in the sense that the coaching context and working environment may not be empowering and supportive to the well-being of coaches and consequently to the athletes, and that coaches who want to provide autonomy-supportive environments may face various obstacles. Finally, the review synthesizes recommendations for the training of coaches, as one piece of a holistic mental health promotion.

"It's Not the Same": A Comparison of the Psychological Needs Satisfied by Musical Group Activities in Face to Face and Virtual Modes

According to the social identity approach to health, group memberships influence people’s mental health to the extent that they identify with their group. Emerging evidence suggests that music groups, such as choirs, enhance mental health via group identification and the satisfaction of various psychological needs; however, more research is required to understand these processes in other types of music groups. Furthermore, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) social distancing restrictions in 2020 prevented music groups from meeting face to face (F2F). Some music groups adapted virtually, but the rate of adaptation of various music activities is unknown, as is the impact of such adaptations on participants’ group identification, psychological need satisfaction, and mental health. We explored these questions using a cross-sectional survey with 257 participants (M_age = 46 years, 78% female) of singing (n = 172), instrumental (n = 48), and dance groups (n = 37). Participants rated group identification and psychological needs satisfaction retrospectively for their music group in F2F mode and then for the group in adapted mode, along with mental health 12-item short form health survey (SF-12). Results showed that instrumental groups (60%) were less commonly adapted to virtual mode than singing (83%) and dance (86%) groups. Group identification and average psychological needs satisfaction (M = 4.04 and 3.50 out of 5) scores were significantly lower for groups in virtual mode than in F2F mode (M = 4.53 and 4.14, respectively). Psychological needs satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between group identification and SF-12 mental health. Despite this, values on group identification and psychological need satisfaction remained high, which suggests that virtual music groups may be beneficial during the COVID-19 pandemic and in contexts where F2F groups are less accessible.

The role of social capital in participatory arts for wellbeing: findings from a qualitative systematic review

BACKGROUND

Social capital is often cited as shaping impacts of participatory arts, although the concept has not been systematically mapped in arts, health and wellbeing contexts. In wider health inequalities research, complex, differential, and sometimes negative impacts of social capital have been recognised.

METHODS

This paper maps of social capital concepts in qualitative research as part of the UK What Works for Wellbeing evidence review programme on culture, sport and wellbeing.

RESULTS

Studies often cite positive impacts of bonding and, to a lesser extent, bridging social capital. However, reported challenges suggest the need for a critical approach. Forms of linking social capital, such as reframing and political engagement to address social divisions, are less often cited but may be important in participatory arts and wellbeing.

CONCLUSIONS

Future research should further specify dimensions of social capital as well as their nuanced effects in arts, and wellbeing contexts.

Does organized sports participation in childhood and adolescence positively influence health? A review of reviews

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Eight systematic reviews on organized sports participation related to health exist.

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Organized sports participation has a moderate effect on crude body weight loss.

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Dose relates to anxiety, depression, physical activity, and bone health responses.

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Associations with psychological and social health were inconclusive.

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Experimental and longitudinal population-based observational studies are needed.

Sports participations have the potential for both positive and negative health outcomes. We hence aimed (i) to assess systematically reviewed associations between organized sports participation in children and adolescents and their health, and (ii) to assess qualitative syntheses of experiences among children and adolescents concerning organized sports participation and health. A search was undertaken in April 2020 across the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsycInfo (Ovid), Scopus, SPORTDiscus (EBSCOhost), and specialized databases for reviews. The recommended Joanna Briggs Institute approach to critical appraisal, study selection, data extraction, and data synthesis was used. Systematic reviews were included that covered children and/or adolescents aged ≤ 18 years, and adult participants with retrospective exposure to—or experiences of—organized sports participation before the age of 19 and examining health outcomes and experiences (Prospero protocol CRD 42020206677). Five reviews based mainly on cross-sectional data, two mainly on longitudinal data, and one on experimental studies were included. A causal relationship of moderate-to-high level of evidence between organized sports participation and moderate crude weight reduction accentuated by diet control and team sports was identified. Evidence of causal relationships between sports participation and reduced anxiety, and depression and increased physical activity was at a moderate level. Evidence of causal relationships between sports participation and health was of low-to-moderate level concerning obesity status (inconclusive), bone health (positive), and psychological and social health (positive and negative). Causal relationships between organized child and adolescent sports participation and health remain uncertain. Experimental and well-conducted longitudinal primary studies are highly warranted.

Intervention of adolescent' mental health during the outbreak of COVID-19 using aerobic exercise combined with acceptance and commitment therapy

OBJECTIVE

To explore the intervention effect of aerobic exercise in combination with acceptance and commitment therapy on mental health of adolescents during the outbreak of COVID-19 based on the theory of the dual-factor model of mental health.

METHODOLOGY

1200 adolescents aged 12-19 in Fujian Province, China were screened by means of the dual-factor model of mental health from March to April 2020. 30 vulnerable, 30 symptomatic but contented and 30 distressed adolescents were selected as the experiment objects, and these 3 types of adolescents were randomly divided into the intervention group and the control group. Among them, the intervention group received 8 weeks of aerobic exercise in combination with acceptance and commitment therapy, 3 times a week, about 40-60 min each time. The control group, however, didn't receive any intervention other than routine mental health education. Measurements were made before and after the intervention.

RESULTS

(1) For vulnerable, symptomatic but contented and distressed individuals, before the intervention, there is no significant difference between the intervention group and the control group in terms of psychological distress, well-being and psychological flexibility (P > 0.05). After the intervention, psychological distress and experiential avoidance is significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group, but all dimensions of well-being is significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.05). (2) For vulnerable, symptomatic but contented and distressed individuals, before and after the intervention, there are significant differences in psychological distress, well-being and psychological flexibility of the intervention group (P < 0.05), but there are no significant differences in the control group (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Attention should be paid to the problems of mental health of adolescents caused by the sudden outbreak of public health incidents. Aerobic exercise in combination with acceptance and commitment therapy is feasible and effective for the intervention in mental health of adolescents.

Frequent Sports Dance May Serve as a Protective Factor for Depression Among College Students: A Real-World Data Analysis in China

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the role of frequent sports dance in preventing mental disorders, including anxiety and depression, among college students using real-world data, and to further analyze potential risk factors associated with anxiety and depression.

Methods

We investigated 921 college students from eight universities in China. A survey was completed by 901 students and they were included in the analysis. The anxiety score was evaluated by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale and the depression score was evaluated by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9). Subgroup comparisons were performed among frequent sports dance students and non-frequent sports dance students.

Results

Of all the students, 9.98% had moderate-to-severe anxiety and 14.65% students suffered from moderate-to-severe depression. Compared with non-frequent sports dance students, frequent sports dance students had significantly lower depression scores (P=0.04). According to the multiple logistic regression models, when potential confounding factors were all adjusted, frequent sports dance was also significantly associated with less depression (OR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.36–0.84, P<0.01). We also found that higher college grade levels (P<0.01), non-physical education students (P=0.02), higher body mass index (P=0.02), lower exercise frequency per week (P<0.01), addiction to drinking (P=0.02), and previous diagnosis of anxiety or depression in hospital (P<0.01) were significantly associated with more anxiety; higher college grade levels (P<0.01), addiction to drinking (P<0.01), preference for eating fried food (P=0.02), soda as the main source of drinking water (P=0.01), and previous diagnosis of anxiety or depression (P=0.03) were significantly associated with more depression, while higher exercise frequency per week (P<0.01), only-child status (P<0.01), and preference for eating vegetables (P=0.02) were significantly associated with less depression.

Conclusion

Anxiety and depression are common among college students. Frequent sports dance may serve as a protective factor for preventing depression and it can be recommended for college students.

A Practice-Inspired Mindset for Researching the Psychophysiological and Medical Health Effects of Recreational Dance (Dance Sport)

“Dance” has been associated with many psychophysiological and medical health effects. However, varying definitions of what constitute “dance” have led to a rather heterogenous body of evidence about such potential effects, leaving the picture piecemeal at best. It remains unclear what exact parameters may be driving positive effects. We believe that this heterogeneity of evidence is partly due to a lack of a clear definition of dance for such empirical purposes. A differentiation is needed between (a) the effects on the individual when the activity of “dancing” is enjoyed as a dancer within different dance domains (e.g., professional/”high-art” type of dance, erotic dance, religious dance, club dancing, Dance Movement Therapy (DMT), and what is commonly known as hobby, recreational or social dance), and (b) the effects on the individual within these different domains, as a dancer of the different dance styles (solo dance, partnering dance, group dance; and all the different styles within these). Another separate category of dance engagement is, not as a dancer, but as a spectator of all of the above. “Watching dance” as part of an audience has its own set of psychophysiological and neurocognitive effects on the individual, and depends on the context where dance is witnessed. With the help of dance professionals, we first outline some different dance domains and dance styles, and outline aspects that differentiate them, and that may, therefore, cause differential empirical findings when compared regardless (e.g., amount of interpersonal contact, physical exertion, context, cognitive demand, type of movements, complexity of technique and ratio of choreography/improvisation). Then, we outline commonalities between all dance styles. We identify six basic components that are part of any dance practice, as part of a continuum, and review and discuss available research for each of them concerning the possible health and wellbeing effects of each of these components, and how they may relate to the psychophysiological and health effects that are reported for “dancing”: (1) rhythm and music, (2) sociality, (3) technique and fitness, (4) connection and connectedness (self-intimation), (5) flow and mindfulness, (6) aesthetic emotions and imagination. Future research efforts might take into account the important differences between types of dance activities, as well as the six components, for a more targeted assessment of how “dancing” affects the human body.

Student Moods Before and After Body Expression and Dance Assessments. Gender Perspective

Body expression and dance are activities that contribute to the integral well-being of people. In an educational context, the process of evaluating our students implies variations in their moods. This study tackles the states of mind that students perceive before and after the evaluation of a practice in the subject of Body expression and dance, developed through choreographies, that were, previously rehearsed, and later presented to the rest of the class in a specific session. Our main interest was the obtention of information on the states of mind of the students prior to the evaluation of their choreographies (cooperative task), and again once they had been performed. The study design consisted of two phases: two different choreographies separated by an interval of 2 months. The students were asked about their moods before and after performing their choreographies, which were evaluated. The participants, 167 in total, 35 women (20.5%) and 132 men (79.5%), aged 18 to 22 years old, filled out a POMS (Profile of Mood States) questionnaire, before and after the evaluation of each occasion. Differences were found in the stress-anxiety, vigor-activity, fatigue-immobility scales and the total mood score (PGMS). In all of them, except for the fatigue-immobility scale, we found a decrease in scores after the performance, compared to scores before. For the Stress-Anxiety factor, lower values were observed in the post-tests in comparison to the pre-tests, and also lower values in the pre- and post-test scores regarding the second choreography. We conclude that the practical evaluation of the subject through choreography modifies the mood states of the students, favoring their well-being after its execution, which is why evaluation through practice is considered a positive element in the educational process.

Electrical Brain Activity and Its Functional Connectivity in the Physical Execution of Modern Jazz Dance

Besides the pure pleasure of watching a dance performance, dance as a whole-body movement is becoming increasingly popular for health-related interventions. However, the science-based evidence for improvements in health or well-being through dance is still ambiguous and little is known about the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. This may be partly related to the fact that previous studies mostly examined the neurophysiological effects of imagination and observation of dance rather than the physical execution itself. The objective of this pilot study was to investigate acute effects of a physically executed dance with its different components (recalling the choreography and physical activity to music) on the electrical brain activity and its functional connectivity using electroencephalographic (EEG) analysis. Eleven dance-inexperienced female participants first learned a Modern Jazz Dance (MJD) choreography over three weeks (1 h sessions per week). Afterwards, the acute effects on the EEG brain activity were compared between four different test conditions: physically executing the MJD choreography with music, physically executing the choreography without music, imaging the choreography with music, and imaging the choreography without music. Every participant passed each test condition in a randomized order within a single day. EEG rest-measurements were conducted before and after each test condition. Considering time effects the physically executed dance without music revealed in brain activity analysis most increases in alpha frequency and in functional connectivity analysis in all frequency bands. In comparison, physically executed dance with music as well as imagined dance with music led to fewer increases and imagined dance without music provoked noteworthy brain activity and connectivity decreases at all frequency bands. Differences between the test conditions were found in alpha and beta frequency between the physically executed dance and the imagined dance without music as well as between the physically executed dance with and without music in the alpha frequency. The study highlights different effects of a physically executed dance compared to an imagined dance on many brain areas for all measured frequency bands. These findings provide first insights into the still widely unexplored field of neurological effects of dance and encourages further research in this direction.

Social, cultural and community engagement and mental health: cross-disciplinary, co-produced research agenda

BACKGROUND

There is increasing cross-disciplinary research on the relationship between individuals' social, cultural and community engagement (SCCE) and mental health. SCCE includes engagement in the arts, culture and heritage, libraries and literature, sports and nature activities, volunteering, and community groups. Research has demonstrated the effects of these activities both on the prevention and management of mental illness. However, it remains unclear whether current research is focusing on the research questions that are of most immediate urgency and relevance to policy and practice.

AIMS

The current project was funded as part of the UK Research and Innovation cross-disciplinary mental health network programme to develop and co-produce a new cross-disciplinary research agenda on SCCE and mental health.

METHOD

Established processes and principles for developing health research agendas were followed, with a six-phase design including engagement with over 1000 key stakeholders, consultations, integration of findings and collective prioritisation of key questions.

RESULTS

We identified four core themes: the mode of engagement, process of engagement, impact of engagement and infrastructure required to facilitate engagement. There were many points of agreement across all stakeholder groups on the priority questions within these themes, but also some specific questions of relevance to different sectors.

CONCLUSIONS

This agenda is particularly timely given the extreme pressure on mental health services predicted to follow the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to identify how resources from other sectors can be mobilised, and what research questions are going to be most important to fund to support SCCE for mental health.

Can we increase the subjective well-being of the general population? An umbrella review of the evidence

INTRODUCTION

Subjective well-being (SWB) refers to being satisfied with one's life, having positive affect and having little negative affect. We may understand it as a subjective definition of good life, or in colloquial terms "happiness", and it has been associated with several important benefits such as lower mortality. In the last decades, several randomized controlled trials (RCT) have investigated the efficacy of several interventions in increasing SWB in the general population but results from different disciplines have not been integrated.

METHODS

We conducted an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of RCT that assess the efficacy of any kind of interventions in increasing SWB in the general population, including both positive psychology interventions (PPI) and other interventions. We (re)calculated the meta-analytic statistics needed to objectively assess the quality of the evidence of the efficacy of each type of intervention in improving each component of SWB according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.

RESULTS

There was moderate-quality evidence that PPI might induce small decreases of negative affect, and low-quality evidence that they might induce moderate increases of positive affect. We found similar results for those PPI specifically consisting in conducting acts of kindness (especially spending money on or giving items to others), for which there was low-quality evidence that they might induces small increases of life satisfaction, but not for PPI specifically consisting in practicing gratitude. Quality of the evidence of the efficacy for the other interventions included in the umbrella review (yoga, resilience training, physical activity, leisure, control enhancement, psychoeducation, and miscellaneous) was very low.

CONCLUSION

There is some evidence that PPI, and specially conducting acts of kindness such as spending money on others, may increase the SWB of the general population. The quality of the evidence of the efficacy for other interventions (e.g., yoga, physical activity, or leisure) is still very low. Registration number: PROSPERO CRD42020111681.

Neurobiological evidence of longer-term physical activity interventions on mental health outcomes and cognition in young people: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

To investigate putative neurobiological mechanisms that link longer-term physical activity interventions to mental health and cognitive outcomes using randomised controlled trials in children, adolescents and young adults.

DATA SOURCES

A range of medical and psychological science electronic databases were searched (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, PsychINFO).

REVIEW METHODS

Original research studies were selected, data were extracted and quality was appraised.

RESULTS

Sixteen primary papers were included, ranging from healthy and community samples to subclinical and clinical populations across a variety of age ranges and using different neurobiological measures (e.g. magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalography, cortisol, brain-derived neurotropic factor).

DISCUSSION

The majority of studies report improvement in mental health and cognition outcomes following longer-term physical activity interventions which coincide with neurobiological alterations, especially neuroimaging alterations in activation and electrophysiological parameters in frontal areas. Future research should include measures of pre-existing fitness and target those who would benefit the most from this type of intervention (e.g. those with a lower level of fitness and at risk for or with mental health problems).

Dance Programs for School-Age Individuals With Disabilities: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this systematic review was to examine published research literature pertaining to dance programs for school-age individuals with disabilities by describing study characteristics and major findings. Electronic database searches were conducted to identify relevant articles published between January 2008 and August 2018. Sixteen articles met all inclusion criteria, and extracted data from the articles included major findings, study design characteristics (e.g., sample size), and dance program characteristics (e.g., location of program). The methodological quality of each study was assessed using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool. Major findings expand on previous reviews on dance by including school-age individuals with disabilities. The critical appraisal of the articles demonstrates a gap in study design rigor between studies. Future research should aim to specify sampling strategies, use theories to frame the impact of dance programs, and provide a thorough description of ethical processes and dance classes.

Blue care: a systematic review of blue space interventions for health and wellbeing

There is increasing interest in the potential use of outdoor water environments, or blue space, in the promotion of human health and wellbeing. However, therapeutic nature-based practices are currently outpacing policy and the evidence base for health or wellbeing benefits of therapeutic interventions within blue space has not been systematically assessed. This systematic review aims to address the gap in understanding the impacts of blue space within existing interventions for targeted individuals. A systematic review was carried out, searching Google Scholar, SCOPUS, PubMed, etc. through to August 2017. Only blue space interventions were included that were specifically designed and structured with a therapeutic purpose for individuals with a defined need and did not include nature-based promotion projects or casual recreation in the outdoors. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria and were assessed. Overall, the studies suggest that blue care can have direct benefit for health, especially mental health and psycho-social wellbeing. The majority of papers found a positive or weak association between blue care and health and wellbeing indicators. There was also some evidence for greater social connectedness during and after interventions, but results were inconsistent and mixed across studies with very few findings for physical health. This is the first systematic review of the literature on blue care. In summary, it has been shown that mental health, especially psycho-social wellbeing, can be improved with investment in blue spaces. Key areas for future research include improving understanding of the mechanisms through which blue care can improve public health promotion.

Relationship between cricket participation, health and well-being: scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Cricket is a popular sport played by 2.5 billion people of all ages and abilities. However, cricket participation is decreasing in the UK, despite an increased focus of governments on increasing sport participation to enhance public health. Understanding the health benefits and mitigating the health risks of cricket participation may help cricket organisations promote cricket participation while optimising the long-term health of cricket participants. Currently, there is no literature review on the relationship between cricket participation, health and well-being; thus, this relationship remains unclear. Therefore, the aims of this scoping review were (1) to investigate the relationship between cricket participation, health and well-being and (ii) to identify the research gaps related to cricket, health and well-being.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Due to the broad nature of our research question and the large number of health outcomes assessed within the cricket literature and to facilitate identification of research gaps, a scoping review methodology was used. The methodology of this paper was informed by previous scoping review protocols and best practice methodological frameworks. MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, Web of Science and PEDro and grey literature sources (Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, ISRCTN Registry and ProQuest) will be systematically searched. Studies that assess a construct related to health and/or well-being in current and/or former cricketers from all ages and standards of play will be eligible. Two reviewers will independently screen full texts of identified studies for eligibility and will perform data extraction. Results will be presented in tabular and graphical forms and will be reported descriptively.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This research is exempt from ethics approval due to the data being available through published and public available resources. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed sports and exercise medicine journal regardless of positive or negative findings. In addition, results will be disseminated through multiple platforms, including conference presentations and social media using multimedia resources (eg, infographics, animations, videos, podcasts and blogs), to engage stakeholder groups, including cricketers, cricket coaches, sporting bodies, sports medicine professionals and policy makers. There findings will inform clinical decision making, policy changes and future research agendas.

Longitudinal associations between ability in arts activities, behavioural difficulties and self-esteem: analyses from the 1970 British Cohort Study

Arts engagement has been shown to have benefits for young people's psychological and behavioural adjustment. However, it is unknown whether it is frequency of arts engagement or individual ability in arts activities that is associated with these benefits. This study therefore examines the link between arts ability and children's behavioural difficulties and self-esteem independent of frequency of engagement. We analysed data from the 1970 British Cohort Study with an overall sample size of 7700 for the behavioural difficulties outcome, and of 4991 for the self-esteem outcome. Baseline measures were taken when the children were aged 10 and followed up at age 16. OLS regression analysis adjusted for identified confounders shows that ability in the arts at age 10 was associated with a lower level of behavioural difficulties at age 16 independent of baseline behaviours, identified confounders and frequency of arts engagement. An association between arts ability and self-esteem was only found amongst children who have higher educational ability. These result suggest that there may be a value to encouraging the cultivation of arts skills at the onset of adolescence as a way of helping to foster children's positive behavioural development.

Arts engagement and self-esteem in children: results from a propensity score matching analysis

Self-esteem is regarded as vital to children's social and cognitive development and emotional well-being. To date, a few studies have suggested that arts activities can improve self-esteem in young people. However, such studies mainly focused on small, nonrepresentative samples. In this study, data from 6209 children included in the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort Study were analyzed using propensity score matching to investigate the association between children's arts engagement ((1) listening to or playing music; (2) drawing, painting, or making things; and (3) reading for enjoyment) and self-esteem at age 11. All three activities were associated with higher levels of self-esteem when matching for all identified demographic, socioeconomic, and familial confounders. Additionally, the relationship was more prominent when children engaged in these activities with their parents on a regular basis. However, there was no clear evidence that ability in either music or arts activities moderated the relationship with self-esteem, although English language ability may moderate the association between reading and self-esteem. These results suggest that initiatives to promote arts engagement in children may provide a practical and efficient way to improve children's self-esteem. This is the key given self-esteem in childhood tends to decline as children enter adolescence, yet is linked to lifelong development and well-being.

The effect of an augmented commercial weight loss program on increasing physical activity and reducing psychological distress in women with overweight or obesity: a randomised controlled trial

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the effects of augmenting an evidence-based physical activity intervention within an existing commercial weight loss program to assess effects on increasing physical activity and reducing psychological distress.

Design/methodology/approach

The CONSORT guidelines were adopted for the study. In total, 49 women with overweight or obesity (M age=39.5, SD:12.4; M Body Mass Index=31.02, SD: 2.10) enrolled in a six week commercial weight loss program were randomized to an intervention or a control group. Participants in the control group received care as usual; participants in the intervention group additionally received an evidence-based intervention to increase physical activity that included behavior change techniques including implementation intentions, goal-setting and self-monitoring.

Findings

Weekly steps increased in the intervention group (M=31,516.25; SD=9,310.17 to M=62,851.36; SD=13,840.4) significantly more (p<0.001, η p 2 =0.32) than in the control group (M=30,207.67; SD=7,833.29) to M=46,969.33 (SD=9,470.96), along with experiencing significantly lower anxiety (p<0.001, η p 2 =0.15), social dysfunction (p<0.001, η p 2 =0.16) and depression symptoms (p<0.05, η p 2 =0.08) at follow-up.

Research limitations/implications

This intervention warrants extension to those seeking to improve mental health through physical activity.

Originality/value

This study took a novel approach of augmenting a commercial weight loss program with a theory-based physical activity module, showing positive effects for physical activity behavior and psychological health.

The arts and the social determinants of health: findings from an inquiry conducted by the United Kingdom All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing

Background: The United Kingdom All-Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing was formed in 2014 and, the following year, initiated an Inquiry into the relationship between arts engagement, health and wellbeing. This led to a substantial report being launched in Parliament in July 2017.Methods: The Inquiry comprised 16 round-table discussions, a series of expert meetings and a lengthy period of desk-based research. The latter applied a realist method in seeking to reconcile policy, practice and evidence. Consideration of the social determinants of health formed the theoretical framework.Results: Evidence was found of a beneficial relationship between arts engagement, health and wellbeing across the life course.Conclusions: Arts engagement can mitigate the social determinants of health by influencing perinatal mental health and child cognitive development; shaping educational and employment opportunities and compensating for work-related stress; building individual resilience and enhancing communities. Further research is needed in this area.