Sauna culture improves physical and mental wellbeing in the UK through social connection and ritual
Newson M, McGrath R, Mosina I, Reason G, Peitz L
Social science & medicine (1982) · 1 citation
How it was studied
- Design
- Cohort study (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- UK Research and Innovation
- Grants
- UK Research and Innovation (MR/T041099/1)
Based on 1 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2026-02-03 · Soc Sci Med · vol. 394 · p. 119061
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Cited
- 3 citations · more than 99% of similar papers · 14.7× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 62 works
- Access
- Open access (hybrid journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Color perception and design · Urban Green Space and Health
- Keywords
- Feeling, Mental health, Well-being, Physical activity, Physical health, Social support, Public health
- MeSH
- humans, steam bath, longitudinal studies, cross-sectional studies, ceremonial behavior, mental health, health status, adult, middle aged, female, male, united kingdom, psychological well-being, social group
5 authors
From GB
- M. Newson · correspondingUniversity of Greenwich
- R. McGrathThe London Interdisciplinary School
- I. Mosina
- G. ReasonUniversity of Kent
- L. PeitzUniversity of Greenwich
Abstract
Sauna culture is experiencing rapid global growth, yet beyond physical health benefits, remains largely understudied within academic research. We investigate both its physical and mental health benefits in the UK using the Social Cure model in conjunction with a ritual lens to understand how feelings of connection grow via sauna. Across three studies (N = 1,907), we explored the role of social identities in shaping wellbeing outcomes among sauna users. Studies 1 and 3 employed longitudinal designs, revealing increases in emotional wellbeing over time, while Study 2 used a cross-sectional approach and showed that stronger sauna identities were associated with self-reported improvements in both physical and emotional wellbeing. Study 3 further demonstrated that perceiving sauna use as a ritual, alongside experiencing emotional synchrony during sauna sessions, was positively linked to stronger sauna identities. Together, these findings suggest that the social and ritual aspects of sauna use may contribute to its wellbeing effects, with potential implications for sauna operators in the UK and beyond.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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