Effects of choir singing on physiological stress in Japanese older adults: its relationship with cognitive functioning and subjective well-being.

Background: Leisure activities are believed to contribute to healthy ageing. We compared the effects of choir singing and go playing on cortisol levels in Japanese older adults. We also examined its relevance to the older adults' emotional affect and cognitive performance.

Methods: Thirty-six older adults participated either in choir or go playing, within a 2 (groups)×2 (time points) design. Dependent measures included levels of salivary cortisol, as well as key psychological, cognitive, and neuropsychological measures.

Results: A significant two-way interaction was observed, showing that levels of salivary cortisol decreased for the choir but increased for the go groups. The decrease in salivary cortisol for the choir group correlated with the participant's negative affect and their degree of cognitive impairment.

Conclusion: Choir singing has the potential to reduce Japanese older adults' physiological stress. The decreases can be seen more prominently for people with stronger negative affect and cognitive impairment. Further research is required to replicate these effects.