From relieving stress and improving mood to maintaining mental clarity and connection, music has a wealth of health benefits for older adults, according to new findings from the University of Michigan's National Poll on Healthy Aging. It turns out that there is.
Most adult respondents (98%) to a survey about their experiences and feelings about listening to and making music said they derive health-related benefits from music, including stress relief, relaxation (75%), and pleasure (73%). I said that I am getting . improved mental health (65%), the ability to recall memories or recall life events (61%), or motivation and energy (60%).
“Sound of music” The report is based on the results of an online and telephone survey of 2,657 older adults ages 50 to 80 conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago in July and August 2023.
At a time when public support for the arts remains under threat, health care providers, policy makers and community organizations should recognize the important role music plays in the lives of older adults, the poll's authors said. .
“Music has the power to bring joy and meaning to life,” UM School of Medicine professor Joel Howell, M.D., wrote in the paper. statement. “It is woven into the very fabric of the existence of all humanity.”
Many adults surveyed also said music helped them feel a spiritual or religious connection (36%), kept them mentally alert (31%), and helped them connect with others. (27%) and said it helped relieve pain (7%).
Most respondents said they listen to music, with 85% saying they listen to music at least a few times a week and 80% saying they watched a musical performance at least a few times in the past year. , 41% say they have attended at least a few live music performances. Several times in the past year.
Many poll participants also reported making music with others by singing or playing an instrument. Overall, 8% said they had sung in a group, such as in a choir, in the past year, and 8% said they had played an instrument with others at least sometimes.
The study revealed differences between groups in music listening habits and health effects.
Respondents who said they were in fair or poor health or felt lonely were less likely to listen to music every day. Mr Howell said the health-related benefits of music should not be underestimated, amid growing concerns about the health effects of loneliness and social isolation.
“The power of music to bring us together, improve mood and energy, and even relieve pain means it can be a powerful tool,” said poll director Jeffrey Kullgren, MD. MPH, MS said in a statement.
Sarah Lentz Locke, AARP's senior vice president for policy and brain health and executive director of the World Brain Health Council, calls music “a universal language with the powerful potential to improve well-being.” said.
AARP's own research shows that music may play an important role in healthy aging by improving our mood, promoting social connections, and potentially enriching brain health. This shows that there is,” Locke said in a statement.
The poll was conducted at the U-M Institute for Health Policy Innovation and supported by AARP and the University's academic medical center, the Michigan Medical Association.
