Pet Ownership and Mental and Physical Health in Older White and Black Males and Females

Abstract

Pet ownership literature remains mixed regarding associations with mental and physical health outcomes among older adults. The present study investigates the relationship between pet ownership and depression, health, and physical activity in an older adult sample balanced by sex (male/female), race (White/Black), and urban/rural status. Participants were adults aged 65+ recruited between 1999 and 2001 in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging. Participants completed the Geriatric Depression Scale, a single-item self-reported health measure, and a physical activity questionnaire. Dog owners reported better subjective health and were more likely to walk for exercise as compared to non-pet owners. Cat owners did not differ from non-pet owners in terms of self-reported health or walking. White participants were more likely than Black participants to report ownership of a pet. No relationships were found between pet ownership and symptoms of depression. Findings were not influenced by sex, race, or geographical location. Dog ownership may be associated with positive physical health behaviors and subjective health perceptions. Additional research focused on mechanisms and cognitive impact is needed. Although there may be physical health benefits of dog ownership, adopting a pet should not be viewed as a simplistic solution to alleviating depression in older adults.

Pet Ownership and Physical Activity in Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Analyses from the NICOLA Study

“…Interestingly, an early study, in 2006, by Thorpe et al [39] found that dog owners differed in terms of physical activity compared to those non-pet owners, however those pet owners that were not dog walkers did not differ from non-pet owners. Furthermore, a study by Albright, Cui, and Allen [9] found that dog owners had better subjective health and were more likely to take part in exercises such as walking than their non-pet owner counterparts. Shibata et al [31] reported how important physical activity was in older adults and that those pet owners who had dogs were more likely to be sufficiently active than non-pet owners.…”

“…In older adults, pet ownership may increase when they reach retirement age, as the individuals now have more time to give to a pet. Ageing research on older adults and pet ownership suggests that there are positive benefits on mental and physical wellbeing with pets helping emotional and social needs [8][9][10][11][12]. Friedmann et al [11] reported that pet ownership was associated with better cognitive function and physical function than those who did not own pets or had no regular contact with pets.…”

“…This variability in research findings highlights that pet ownership has many complexities and can be shaped by many different lifestyle factors such as physical activity. Research has shown that pet ownership has been associated with alleviating depression [9,15,18] and increasing physical activity levels [10,19].…”

Pet ownership is associated with greater cognitive and brain health in a cross-sectional sample across the adult lifespan

“…Despite these potential benefits of pet ownership, few studies have investigated the benefits of owning pets among community-dwelling older adults ( Hughes et al, 2020 ; Albright et al, 2022 ). Most research investigating such relationships has focused on the therapeutic effects of animal-assisted therapy in patients with memory disorders ( Kanamori et al, 2001 ; Bono et al, 2015 ) or those who need care in nursing homes ( Stasi et al, 2004 ; Colombo et al, 2006 ).…”

Elderly and their companion animals, cause for pleasure or for harm, a case report of a non- bite Pasteurella multocida bacteremia in an 85 year old woman

“…Companion animals can transmit potential pathogens to humans, and especially elderly people (> 65 years) are more susceptible to the risk of pet-induced zoonosis. [2,3] On the upside, this age group bene ts most from taking care of a pet due to the positive in uence it has on mental and physical health [4], such as decreased feelings of loneliness and anxiety [5]. Research showed that older pet owners are less concerned about the risk of zoonotic transmission of disease [6], yet they are more susceptible to health problems occurring after infection.…”