Abstract
Objectives: To examine if attendance in live performances was associated with change in cognition among African Americans (AAs) and European Americans (EAs). Method: The study consisted of 5,567 older adults with at least follow-up interview and analyzed using a linear mixed effects regression model adjusting for demographic and health variables. Results: We found that frequent performance attendance was associated with slower decline in composite cognitive function among older AAs and EAs. Attending 10 or more performances per year was associated with 23% slower cognitive decline among AAs and 31% slower cognitive decline among EAs compared with those who never attend any performance. However, this difference was not significant (p =.56). Attending live performances was also associated with slower decline in individual tests of perceptual speed, episodic memory, and mini-mental state exam (MMSE). Discussion: Our findings suggest that live performances form a valuable component of arts engagement and should be encouraged for potential cognitive benefits.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 445-457 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Aging and Health |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Mar 1 2018 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- cognitive decline
- minorities
- music
- performing arts
- theater
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Health(social science)
- Sociology and Political Science
- Gerontology
- Community and Home Care
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Life-span and Life-course Studies