The role of cultural engagement for older adults: an integrative review of scientific literature

Abstract Objective: to understand the role of cultural engagement in the lives of older adults. Method: an integrative literature review of publications from 2014 and 2019 in English, Portuguese, and Spanish was conducted. The Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, PsycNET®, LILACS, SciELO Citation Index and Science Direct databases were used as sources of information. The descriptors “aged” and the related term “cultural engagement” in the three idioms were used in the search, together with the Boolean operators “AND” or “ OR”. A total of 12 articles that met the inclusion criteria were found. These were categorized based on the theme. No Brazilian studies were found. Results: the panorama found revealed that older adults are more interested in receptive cultural activities, such as going to museums, exhibitions and the theater, as these enrich and add greater social value to their lives. Cultural engagement was associated with a reduction in the incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders (dementia and depression), as well as reducing the incidence of episodes of violence. Participation in cultural activities also constituted a protective factor for cognitive abilities and for the reduction of chronic pain. There is also evidence that associates cultural engagement with a better perception of quality of life and greater well-being, happiness and positive affect, as well as the reduction of negative affect. Conclusion: engaging in cultural activities is a way of understanding and respecting cultural diversity, salvaging social identities, and enjoying and providing experiences of great social value, with beneficial impacts in the lives of older adults.

研究目的：旨在阐明文化参与（cultural engagement）在老年群体生活中的作用。
研究方法：本研究针对2014至2019年间发表的英语、葡萄牙语及西班牙语文献开展整合性综述。检索数据源涵盖Scopus、Web of Science、MEDLINE/PubMed、CINAHL、PsycNET®、LILACS、SciELO引文索引及Science Direct数据库。检索时以三种语言对应的“老年（aged）”与“文化参与（cultural engagement）”作为主题词，并结合布尔逻辑运算符AND或OR构建检索策略。最终筛选出符合纳入标准的文献共12篇，并按研究主题进行分类。本次综述未检索到巴西相关研究。
研究结果：本次综述呈现的研究图景显示，老年人对接受式文化活动的参与意愿更强，例如参观博物馆、展览及观看戏剧，此类活动可丰富其生活内涵并提升社会价值。研究发现，文化参与与神经精神障碍（痴呆与抑郁）的发病风险降低相关，同时可减少暴力事件的发生。参与文化活动还能对认知能力起到保护作用，并缓解慢性疼痛。另有证据表明，文化参与可提升老年人对生活质量的感知水平，改善其福祉、幸福感与积极情感，同时降低消极情感体验。
研究结论：参与文化活动是理解与尊重文化多样性、维系社会身份认同，并获取与传递高社会价值体验的重要途径，对老年人的生活具有多重积极影响。