Model railroaders have often espoused the health benefits of the hobby. Now, they have numbers to back up their claims thanks to a new study by Hornby.
The U.K.-based model manufacturer and retailer announced the results of a study it commissioned through London-based marketing company Disrupt Insight. The study, which surveyed 2,000 adults in the United Kingdom, sought to better understand the profile of the contemporary scale model enthusiast. More than 60% of those who responded to the survey stated that they experienced mental health benefits from their hobby.
48% of survey respondents attributed stress relief and improved mental activity to their hobby. 21% stated that they used the hobby to reduce their screen time.
Another interesting detail which emerged from the study: “Almost half of enthusiasts are now under 35 years old and 28% are female, proving that scale modelling really is for everyone.”
Per Hornby CEO Olly Raeburn: “The benefits of having a hobby cannot be overstated. Our research underscores how hobbies contribute to mental wellbeing, happiness, and social connectivity.”
According to Hornby, the hobby industry in the U.K. has grown by 2% since 2020. The company attributes this growth in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many people to pursue new hobbies in their isolation.
To read more about the study, click here to read the full white paper report from Hornby.
