Promoting self-esteem and quality of life for older adults through participation in community textile arts : a social capital approach

Abstract

This interdisciplinary community-based participatory study (HK$1.8M, Community Investment and Inclusion Fund, Labour and Welfare Bureau, HKSAR, 2019–2021) is the first in Hong Kong to investigate the therapeutic benefits of arts and textile crafts engagement for older adults through a novel multimodal intervention. Building on pilot initiatives (2017–2019), the study is situated at the intersection of social gerontology, arts-based health research and community development, addressing the global challenge of fostering age-friendly cities. It examines how creative participation can enhance self-esteem, quality of life (QoL) and social connectedness among older adults at the neighbourhood level. The project draws on person-centred expressive arts therapy and participatory action research, developing a theoretical fashion design process model to facilitate self-capacity building and community engagement. A mixed-methods approach was adopted: Quantitative assessments measured changes in self-esteem and QoL before and after the intervention, while qualitative methods, including reflexive interviews and dialogical narrative analysis, explored participants’ lived experiences and the phenomenology of creative engagement. This research advances international literature on arts and health (Cohen et al., 2007; Greaves & Farbus, 2006) by elucidating mechanisms through which arts-based psychosocial interventions foster active ageing, social capital and community resilience. It contributes new knowledge by foregrounding co-creation with older adults and adapting age-friendly city principles at the micro-community scale. Findings demonstrate enhanced social connectedness, increased self-efficacy and the formation of intergenerational networks, offering a replicable model for policy and practice in arts engagement and healthy ageing. Dissemination includes peer-reviewed publications (Journal of Fashion Technology & Textile Engineering, 2019; Journal of Arts & Humanities, 2022), video ethnography (2021), media interviews (2022) and international knowledge exchange (Danang and Quang Nam, Vietnam, 2023). The project was highly commended as “Research Project of the Year: Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences” at the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2024.