Participation in the Setouchi Triennale and the Health of Residents in Naoshima: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Arts festivals have become increasingly popular in various parts of Japan in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between arts festival activities participation at the Setouchi Triennale and the health of residents in the town of Naoshima. This was a cross-sectional study. Questionnaires were distributed to all residents of Naoshima who were 20 years old or older (n=2,588). We analyzed responses from 708 people. The associations between arts festival activities participation and health (measured by self-rated health) were analyzed using logistic regression analysis as the primary outcome. Kessler's psychological distress scale scores were also analyzed in the same manner as the primary outcome. The participating group had an adjusted odds ratio of 1.86 (95% confidence interval: 1.03-3.33) for higher self-rated health compared with those who did not participate. Kessler's psychological distress scale results showed that the participating group had an adjusted odds ratio of 3.23 (95% confidence interval: 1.19-8.81) for lower psychological distress compared with those who did not participate. In conclusion, arts festival activities participation was associated with higher self-rated health and lower psychological distress. However, caution must be taken in regard to generalizability and causality when interpreting these results.

Does Participation in the Setouchi Triennale Foster Social Capital? : A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study examined whether participation in an art project was associated with higher social capital (SC). We conducted a questionnaire survey from November 2021 to March 2022 among residents aged 20 years or older of Naoshima, an island in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. Before the survey, the Setouchi Triennale had been held on Naoshima four times, starting in 2010. We calculated propensity scores for Triennale participation and performed propensity score matching. We then compared cognitive and structural SC by Triennale participation and found significant differences, respectively. We adopted a conditional ordered logistic regression analysis with propensity score matching for cognitive or structural SC, and found adjusted odd ratios of 2.913 (95%CI, 1.846-4.596) for cognitive SC and 4.535 (95%CI, 2.839-7.244) for structural SC. Our findings suggest that Triennale participation enhanced the cognitive aspect of SC while also building structural SC.