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BRIEF RESEARCH REPORT article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1417997
This article is part of the Research Topic World Health Day 2024: Frontiers in Public Health presents: "My Health, My Right" View all articles

Creating arts and crafting positively predicts subjective wellbeing

Provisionally accepted
Helen Keyes Helen Keyes *Sarah Gradidge Sarah Gradidge Suzanna E. Forwood Suzanna E. Forwood Nic Gibson Nic Gibson Annelie Harvey Annelie Harvey Evelin Kis Evelin Kis Karen Mutsatsa Karen Mutsatsa Rachel Ownsworth Rachel Ownsworth Shyanne Roeloffs Shyanne Roeloffs Magdalena Zawisza Magdalena Zawisza
  • Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study explored whether engagement with Creating Arts and Crafting (CAC) predicted subjective wellbeing and loneliness, above and beyond known sociodemographic predictors. Methods: Secondary data from 7,182 adults living in England from the Taking Part Survey (a 2019-2020 UK household survey of culture and sport participation) were analyzed. Hierarchical Linear regressions were used to explore the predictive effect of engagement with CAC on aspects of subjective wellbeing (anxiety, happiness, life satisfaction and a sense that life is worthwhile) and loneliness. Covariates included gender, Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), age group, health and employment status. Results: Engaging in CAC significantly predicted increased life satisfaction, a sense that life is worthwhile and happiness, above and beyond known sociodemographic predictors. Conclusions: Our study provides support for the wellbeing benefits of engagement with creating arts and crafting, and we suggest that this will be a useful tool at a public health level, noting that relative accessibility and affordability creating arts and crafting.

    Keywords: wellbeing, Arts and crafts, life satisfaction, happiness, Worthwhile life

    Received: 15 Apr 2024; Accepted: 21 Jun 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Keyes, Gradidge, Forwood, Gibson, Harvey, Kis, Mutsatsa, Ownsworth, Roeloffs and Zawisza. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Helen Keyes, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.