Health Communication and the Arts in the United States: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objectives: Guided by the hypothesis that the arts can play a role in changing attitudes, beliefs, and health behaviors, the objectives of the study were to (1) overview artistic practices, interventions, and research being conducted at the intersection of the arts and health communication and (2) identify desired and observed outcomes and variables measured in these studies. Data Source: The search strategy was developed iteratively with 2 health science librarians and conducted using 8 databases (Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Art and Architecture Source, CINAHL, Communication and Mass Media Complete, ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science) and hand searching. Articles included were published between 2014 and 2018. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Inclusion criteria include US nonclinical setting and use of the arts (broadly defined) to change health knowledge, beliefs, behaviors, or awareness. Any articles not meeting inclusion criteria were excluded. Data Extraction: Covidence’s data extraction tool exported to MS Excel. Data Synthesis: This final set of results was analyzed and synthesized by research design, population, sample size, health issue, purpose, variables measured, and findings. Results: In all, 78 articles met inclusion criteria. Number of participants ranged from 4 to 2140 (mean = 179); 61 (78.2%) outcome studies, including 8 experimental studies; 17 (21.79%) formative research or reports. Many different health topics were addressed and different art forms used. Conclusion: The arts can help build knowledge and awareness of health issues. The authors highlight the need to build an evidence base for arts and public health.

Engaging the Arts for Wellbeing in the United States of America: A Scoping Review

“…It was conducted as one of two scoping reviews that were part of a larger project focusing on the use of the arts in community health settings in the United States. The first scoping review examined arts-based programs in health communication ( Sonke et al, 2021b ). A protocol for the entire project, inclusive of both reviews, was registered with the JBI in January 2019, under the preliminary title “Engaging the Arts in Health Communication and Wellbeing: A Scoping Review.”…”

From Therapeutic Factors to Mechanisms of Change in the Creative Arts Therapies: A Scoping Review

“…There is growing recognition of the role played by different art forms in improving health and well-being (Clift and Camic, 2016 ; Fancourt and Finn, 2019 ; Nitzan and Orkibi, 2020 ; Sonke et al, 2021 ), whether as part of everyday life (not for health purposes but with a secondary health benefit), within arts programs designed to promote health, or within specific therapeutic interventions provided by qualified creative arts therapists in various kinds of healthcare settings. The creative arts therapies (CATs) are characterized by the clinical and evidence-informed use of the arts within a therapeutic relationship that relies on experiential and action-based interventions (De Witte et al, 2020c ).…”

Promoting COVID‐19 vaccination through music and drama—Lessons from early phase of the pandemic

“…six film studies out of the 78 that met inclusion criteria. 15 The review focused on outcomes research and descriptive studies, the use of arts in nonclinical settings in the United States, arts interventions that influence health or health-related experiences, and outcome measures such as knowledge, awareness, beliefs, risk perceptions and cultural acceptance. Other arts forms studied included photography, theatre and dance, and digital arts.…”

“…Lessons from such studies may be useful to generate the evidence regarding the use of songs and drama for addressing the current and future pandemics. A recent review of arts‐based health communication in the United States identified only three music/song and six film studies out of the 78 that met inclusion criteria 15 . The review focused on outcomes research and descriptive studies, the use of arts in nonclinical settings in the United States, arts interventions that influence health or health‐related experiences, and outcome measures such as knowledge, awareness, beliefs, risk perceptions and cultural acceptance.…”