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Arts Engagement is a Health Behavior

Rodriguez, A. K., Akram, S., Colverson, A. J., Hack, G., Golden, T. L., & Sonke, J. (2023). Arts Engagement as a Health Behavior: An Opportunity to Address Mental Health Inequities. Community health equity research & policy, 2752535X231175072. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/2752535X231175072

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OPERA America Announces the Recipients of 2023 Repertoire Development Grants

Broadway World, 3.4.24

The 2024 Repertoire Development Grant recipients were selected from among 47 applications by a panel of industry leaders consisting of Kitty Brazelton, composer; Nataki Garrett, co-artistic director of One Nation/One Project and the national arts and health initiative #ArtsforEveryBody; Carolyn Kuan, conductor; Gene Scheer, librettist; and Mo Zhou, director.

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Ward Touts Gainesville’s Accomplishments With Federal Funding

Main St. Daily News, 3.4.24

In the week leading up to President Joe Biden’s fourth State of the Union Address, mayors across the country are circulating op-eds to highlight funding their cities have received through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL) and other programs.

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Research Gary Ricke Research Gary Ricke

Meet Dr. Jill Sonke, PhD.

Director of National Research and Impact for One Nation One Project. Dr. Jill Sonke, PhD, is a leading advocate for the integration of arts and health. As the Founding Director of the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, she has been instrumental in advancing the field of arts in healthcare.

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Research Gary Ricke Research Gary Ricke

Associations between participation in community arts groups and aspects of wellbeing in older adults in the United States: a propensity score matching analysis

This study investigates the positive impact of community arts group participation on the well-being of older adults in the U.S., demonstrating significant enhancements in positive emotions, life satisfaction, and a sense of purpose among over 12,000 participants, with greater benefits from weekly involvement.

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Hobby engagement and mental wellbeing among people aged 65 years and older in 16 countries

This international study across 16 countries and 93,263 participants shows that hobby engagement is universally associated with improved mental wellbeing, including fewer depressive symptoms, and higher self-reported health, happiness, and life satisfaction, suggesting that promoting hobby engagement is a valuable strategy for supporting healthy aging globally, despite varying prevalence of hobby engagement across countries.

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Research Gary Ricke Research Gary Ricke

Associations of arts and cultural engagement with substance use trajectories in adolescence and early adulthood: a latent growth curve analysis of the Add Health cohort

This study on US adolescents finds that engagement in arts and cultural activities is initially associated with a reduced risk of substance use (alcohol intoxication and tobacco use), but this protective effect diminishes over time, suggesting the need for sustained engagement in these activities for long-term benefits.

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Leisure engagement in older age is related to objective and subjective experiences of aging

This study of older adults in the US finds that physical and creative leisure activities are most beneficial for aging experiences, positively affecting daily functioning, physical fitness, sleep, and perceptions of health both concurrently and longitudinally, while cognitive and community activities show less consistent benefits, suggesting that engaging in physical and creative activities can help slow age-related decline and support functional independence.

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