Epidemiological Research on Arts & Health Outcomes

Introduction

Arts and health researchers, practitioners, and policymakers are pioneering the world’s growing interest in the impact of arts engagement on population health. With over 150 peer-reviewed scientific publications reflecting arts and health data on a large-scale and/or national level, the field’s growing evidence base serves as a valuable tool to further understand and even quantify the population-health specific impact of the arts.

As the first systematic review of arts & population health, this study will identify and catalogue epidemiological studies on arts engagement and health, to examine concepts that are challenging for experimental studies to address, while also providing opportunities to inform arts-based public health programs for population health.

Scope

To achieve its aim, the project will follow established best-practice guidance (PRISMA 2020) to systematically identify, screen, and synthesize relevant studies. Comprehensive searches will be conducted across major bibliographic databases, with additional citation tracking and handsearching to ensure coverage. Studies will be independently screened by multiple reviewers using predefined eligibility criteria focused on large-scale or representative observational data. Data extraction and quality appraisal will be conducted using structured tools, with dual-review processes to ensure rigor and consistency. Findings will be synthesized through narrative analysis, with the potential for meta-analysis where data allow, to examine both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between ACEng and diverse health outcomes.

The project is conducted across England and the United States, with a global scope in terms of included studies. The timeline spans ten months, beginning in March 2026 and concluding in December 2026. Outputs will include a comprehensive evidence map and synthesis to inform a forthcoming global policy report, supporting the integration of arts into public health strategies.

Insights and Deliverables

This review has established the following objectives:

• To systematically review the current epidemiological evidence on the relationship between arts and cultural engagement (ACEng) and health outcomes. 
• To map the data sources and the geographical equity of the included studies. 
• To identify how ACEng is being operationalized in these studies to map gaps. 
• To understand methodological approaches being taken in epidemiological research. 
• To assess the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between ACEng and health outcomes. 

By achieving these objectives, this review aims to answer the overarching question: What epidemiological research has examined relationships between arts and cultural engagement (ACEng) and health outcomes, and what relationships between ACEng and health outcomes have been reported? 

With a targeted completion date of December 2026, this systematic review will inform the next major World Health Organization (WHO) report on the population health benefits of the arts.

Project Team

An interdisciplinary, international team led by Daisy Fancourt at University College London brings together expertise in epidemiology, systematic review methods, arts and health research, and global policy, including collaborators from University of Florida, New York University, and the World Health Organization, to deliver a rigorous and globally relevant evidence synthesis.