[Cultural approaches to treatment and public health work]

Improvement of health status due to physical activity is well documented. Research on health effects of other cultural measures is more scarce. During recent years, considerable work in these fields has been presented in the Nordic countries and there is a good basis for further research.

The article is a literature study based on reports and literature from projects in which cultural measures have been used as elements in treatment, rehabilitation, preventive and health promotion in the Nordic countries, primarily in Norway. Prominent workers within cultural and health work in the Nordic countries have contributed with information on relevant literature and reports.

Reports from projects in Norway on culture and health indicate an improvement on individual life quality and experienced health status. Lack of research leaves an uncertainty as to whether the effects are lasting and whether other measures would have had similar effects. International research literature indicates that cultural activities may have health effects. There is a need for further research based on multidisciplinary approaches.