Does leisure activity matter for epigenetic aging? Analyses of arts engagement and physical activity in the UK Household Longitudinal Study

Publication type

Journal Article

Authors

Publication date

May 11, 2026

Summary:

Background and Objectives:
Over the past decade, aging clocks have become widely adopted as important tools for understanding biological aging and have been redefining notions of “pro-longevity” lifestyles. However, this work is still at an early stage. Some leisure activities, such as arts and cultural engagement (ACEng), have never been studied at all, while others, such as physical activity (PA), have only received scant attention.

Research Design and Methods:
This study used data from 3,556 adults (2010–2012) in the UK Household Longitudinal Study, a large, nationally-representative cohort study, which includes 7 derived epigenetic clocks. We used a doubly robust estimation using the inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment estimator adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, data collection gaps, and technical covariates of epigenetic clocks.

Results:
ACEng and PA were related to slower epigenetic aging in the PhenoAge, DunedinPoAm and DunedinPACE clocks, although not to the other measured clocks (Lin, Horvath 2018, Horvath 2013, and Hannum), with comparable effect sizes between ACEng and PA. Evidence was consistently found across different measures of engagement, including diversity and frequency for ACEng, as well as frequency, diversity, and activeness for PA. These results were generally stronger amongst middle-aged and older adults aged 40 or above.

Discussion and Implications:
Our study provides the first evidence that ACEng, a much more recently recognized health behavior, is related to epigenetic aging, with magnitudes comparable to PA. These findings position ACEng as a potential contributor to healthy aging at the biological level, supporting its inclusion in public health strategies.

Innovation and Translational Significance:
This study provides the first evidence that engaging in arts and cultural activities is associated with a slower pace of biological aging, with benefits similar to physical activity. Based on high-quality data and robust methods, these findings extend the existing literature on arts and health, positioning arts and cultural engagement as a novel, modifiable factor for healthy aging at the biological level. The evidence provides a scientific basis for integrating arts and cultural activities into public health frameworks and individual health behaviors, presenting an accessible and enriching pathway to healthy aging.

Published in

Innovation in Aging

Volume

Volume: 10

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/geroni/igag038

Subjects

Notes

© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America.

Open Access

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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