Using the arts for awareness, communication and knowledge translation in older adulthood: a scoping review

ABSTRACT

Background

The arts are powerful methods of enhancing social engagement and well-being in older adulthood. Literature on arts utility in translating knowledge about ageing and related processes is emerging but poorly understood. We conducted a scoping review to map research on how the arts are used for awareness, communication, and knowledge translation in older adulthood.

Methods

We consulted a research librarian, comprehensively searched four interdisciplinary databases, systematically screened 1321 articles and extracted data from 11 included articles.

Results

Articles predominantly originated from the Health Sciences, were informed by qualitative data, and were developed linearly, from problem identification to art development. Performance theatre was the most commonly employed narrative approach.

Conclusions

Approaches to arts development in this context do not maximize collaboration and participant engagement, thereby reducing potential impacts of arts for older persons. We propose a cyclical and collaborative alternative to developing arts strategies for combined communicative and engagement purposes.

KEYWORDS:

• Arts-based knowledge translation
• creative communication
• arts-engagement

Acknowledgments

MA acknowledges the generous fellowship support received from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research in support of her postdoctoral research, and the National Health and Medical Research Council Centre of Research Excellence in Trans-disciplinary Frailty Research to Achieve Healthy Ageing.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.