Review of health promotion programs for musicians to prevent music-playing related health problems

Abstract

This literature review examined existing health promotion programs targeted at musicians and music students, to prevent physical and mental health issues related to playing music. Through a search of the databases “Web of Science”, “PubMed”, “PsychINFO”, “Scopus” and “ScienceDirect”, we identified 11 relevant studies. We gathered information about the intervention contents, format, outcome measures, limitations and directions for future studies from the studies selected. The findings indicated the potential benefits of implementing health promotion programs targeting musicians, noting limitations such as poor uptake, poor adherence, and difficulties in measuring long-term effects. Moreover, variations in the content, format, and outcome measures of the studies made it challenging to determine the effectiveness of specific components of each intervention program. We made suggestions to improve program uptake and adherence, such as targeting health literacy and incorporating behavior change strategies, for future research.