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Pet Ownership and Attachment as Supportive Factors in the Health of the Elderly
Anthrozoös
Abstract
In order to examine pet ownership and pet attachment as factors supporting the health of the elderly, a national probability sample of Americans 65 years of age and older was drawn. Participants answered telephone survey questions regarding pet ownership, life stress, social support, depression, and recent illness. In multiple regression analyses, pet ownership failed to predict depression and illness behavior, while pet attachment significantly predicted depression but not illness experience. In a group with particularly great distress (the bereaved), pet ownership and strong attachment were significantly associated with less depression only when the number of available confidants was minimal.
... Nevertheless, this study also had a number of limitations. First, although we examined the direct effect of attachment on physical activity, indirect mechanisms such as psychological [28] and social effects [29] on physical activity are also possible. Krause-Parello et al. reported that pet attachment support, but not human social support, influenced the relationship between loneliness and depressed mood, indicating the importance of pet attachment as a greater form of support in this sample [13]. ...
This cross-sectional study examined the association of attachment with the frequency of dog walking and physical activity level among dog owners. We analyzed data collected in an internet survey conducted by the Japan Pet Food Association in 2023. Valid data were obtained from 1041 dog owners. The mean (SD) age of participants was 52.5 (14.9) years, with 57.5% being women. Ordinal logistic regression models showed that a higher attachment score was associated with a higher frequency of dog walking after controlling for important confounders (B = 0.04, SE = 0.02, p<0.01, Adjusted R² = 0.03). Linear regression models showed that a higher attachment score was associated with a higher moderate-vigorous physical activity level (B = 1.43, SE = 0.44, p<0.01, Adjusted R² = 0.01). These results suggest that dog owners with strong attachment maintain physical activity levels through caring for their dogs. Higher levels of physical activity might have protective effects against adverse health outcomes.
... First, several important dimensions of pet ownership could not be included in this study, such as the degree of attachment to a pet. Attachment is known to influence psychological aspects 28,29 of pet ownership, and a deeply attached owner-pet relationship might play a key role in affecting health and wellbeing of owners. Future research is needed to clarify the mechanism by identifying confounding factors, such as how the degree of attachment and primary caretaking interact with dog ownership and physical activity. ...
This study examines the association between dog ownership over a period of 5 years (always, sometimes and no ownership) with physical activity on weekdays and weekends over a period of 6 years using the nationally representative German Socio-Economic Panel. Participants were asked if they had any pets and how many hours they spend on sports, fitness, and exercise. We hypothesized that the length of dog ownership may have different effects on the physical activity of the owner. Overall, 15,240 participants completed the questionnaire on dog ownership in both 2011 and 2016, and reported their physical activity levels at least once between 2013 and 2018. Generalized estimating equation models showed that, compared to no ownership, always dog ownership was associated with higher physical activity on weekdays (Coefficient = 0.106, Standard Error: SE = 0.027, P < 0.001) and weekends (Coefficient = 0.121, SE = 0.033, P < 0.001) respectively, after controlling for related socio-demographic, physical, and psychological factors during the 6-year follow-up period. During the same follow-up period, sometimes dog ownership had no clear association with physical activity on both weekdays (Coefficient=-0.012, SE = 0.033, P = 0.706) and weekends (Coefficient = 0.049, SE = 0.039, P = 0.209) compared to no ownership. This study showed for the first time that longer dog ownership is associated with higher physical activity on both weekdays and weekends. Future research will be needed to investigate whether any causal relationships underlie the association.
... Aspek Pet Attachment tertulis dalam Johnson, Garrity, Stallones, & Marx (1989) ...
Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah menguji hubungan antara pet attachment dengan compassion pada dewasa awal. Penelitian ini melibatkan dewasa awal berusia 20 hingga 30 tahun (M = 22,7 tahun, SD = 2,81 tahun) yang memiliki hewan peliharaan anjing atau kucing (N = 197) sebagai sampel penelitian yang diambil menggunakan teknik purposive sampling. Metode pengumpulan data menggunakan Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (23 butir, α = 0,928) dan Compassion Scale (12 butir, α = 0,954). Teknik analisis data menggunakan analisis regresi sederhana dengan bantuan perangkat lunak JASP untuk menguji hubungan antara kedua variabel. Hasil pengujian non-parametrik Spearman's r menunjukkan bahwa hubungan antara pet attachment dengan compassion bersifat positif (rs = 0,264, p < 0,01). Hasil tersebut menunjukkan bahwa semakin seseorang memiliki kelekatan terhadap hewan peliharaan maka semakin mampu orang tersebut untuk berbelas kasih kepada orang lain. Hal ini disebabkan oleh rasa aman yang terbentuk antara hewan peliharaan dan pemiliknya sehingga manusia terdorong untuk membangun hubungan dekat dan menimbulkan atribut yang ada pada belas kasih. Kebaruan dari penelitian ini ada pada sumber menumbuhkan belas kasih dari objek non-manusia pada dewasa awal di Indonesia.
... Owning a pet was not associated with physical and mental health, however, association was observed between strong attachment to a pet and low depression. Also, when there was minimal confidant support, both pet ownership and strong pet attachment were associated with low depression (47). Bolstand et al., (48) found relation between pet ownership and fewer symptoms of anxiety in elderly, however, in this study, there was no association between pet ownership and depressive symptoms. ...
... Third, several important variables could not be included in this study. Attachment to a pet is known to affect psychological aspects [38,39], and primary caretaking with a deep owner-pet relationship might have a key role in this effect on human health. Fourth, data on physical activity level and serious illness in this study were collected 1 year before pet ownership. ...
This study used the nationally representative prospective study of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey cohort to examine the association of pet ownership (dog, cat, bird, fish, and others) with the risk of all-cause mortality using propensity score matching based on a wide range of factors. The study sample included 15,735 participants who completed the questionnaire on pet ownership in 2018. The HILDA survey sample was matched to the National Death Index through 2022 to assess death during the follow-up period. Statistical analysis was weighted by the inverse of the propensity score in the generalized estimating equation. During the 4-year follow-up period, 377 of 15,735 (2.4%) participants died. The odds ratios (ORs) for all-cause mortality were 0.77 (95%CI: 0.59–0.99) for dog owners compared to non-pet owners after controlling for related socio-demographic, physical, psychological, and social factors. The Sobel test showed a partial mediating effect of physical activity level on the relationship between dog ownership and all-cause mortality. Ownership of cats, birds, fish, and others showed no clear association with mortality, despite owners having similar socio-demographics characteristics to dog owners. Companionship and exercise of a pet dog may be recommended as a component of health promotion policy, and may have an important role to play in promoting health aging.
... Keterlibatan sosial yang terbentuk kemudian akan membentuk hubungan berupa suatu pola sistematik yang kemudian disebut dengan attachment. (Garrity et al., 1989), mendefinisikan pet attachment sebagai hubungan emosional dan interaksi antara pemilik serta anggota keluarga yang lain dengan hewan peliharaanya. Bentuk hubungan antara manusia dan hewan peliharaannya merupakan bentuk hubungan kelekatan timbal balik (reciprocal attachment) dan caregiving di mana muncul ketergantungan antara satu dengan yang lain dan keduanya saling memberikan perhatian. ...
Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui hubungan antara pet attachment dengan psychological well-being masyarakat Bali yang memiliki hewan peliharaan anjing. Penelitian ini menggunakan metodologi kuantitatif, alat ukur pet attachment dan psychological well-being diukur dengan skala Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale dan Six- Dimensional Psychological Well-being Scale yang sudah diadaptasi ke Bahasa Indonesia. Sampel penelitian berjumlah 349 orang masyarakat Bali yang memeliharan hewan peliharaan anjing, berusia 18-40 tahun dan beragama Hindu. Hasil analisa korelasi menujukan bahwa pet attachment berkorelasi secara positif terhadap psychological well-being (sig= 0.00 < 0.05) dengan nilai koefisien korelasi sebesar 0.799. Meningkatnya pet attachment seperti peningkatan terhadap kualitas hidup, gaya hidup yang sehat dan sumber kenyamanan maka akan ada peningkatan juga terhadap psychologocal well-being pemilik hewan peliharaan anjing.
... From reducing the risk of heart attacks to alleviating loneliness, pet ownership benefits individuals and contributes to healthy communities [1][2][3][4]. Approximately 66% (86.9 million) of US households included at least one pet in 2022 [5]. ...
Recent emerging zoonotic disease outbreaks, such as that of SARS-CoV-2, have demonstrated the need for wider companion animal disease surveillance. We tested 1000 dogs and cats belonging to employees of a US veterinary hospital network that were exposed to human COVID-19 cases in the household between 1 January 2020 and 10 March 2022 for SARS-CoV-2 and surveyed their owners about clinical signs and risk factors. The seropositivity was 33% for 747 dogs and 27% for 253 cats. Pet seropositivity correlated with the US human case rates over time, exhibiting peaks corresponding with the major COVID-19 surges. Antibodies persisted longer than previously documented (828 days in dogs; 650 days in cats). Increasing age and duration of proximity to infected people were associated with increased seropositivity in dogs but not cats. Cats were more likely to have clinical signs, but an association between seropositivity and the presence of clinical signs was not found in either species.
... Historically, HAI research (the study of relationships and interactions between humans and nonhuman animals [7]), has primarily consisted of studies designed to better understand how pet ownership, animal interactions, and/or attachment with companion animals promote human health and wellbeing [8][9][10]. To this end, numerous measures have been developed to quantify peoples' attachments and bonds to animals [11][12][13]. ...
Results of studies examining relations between human-animal interactions and human health and wellbeing have been inconsistent. This may be due, in part, to the scarcity of measures developed to assess levels of stress experienced when living with a pet (i.e., pet-related stress). This study developed and validated the Pet-Related Stress Scale (PRSS), a measure of general, multispecies pet-related stress among US pet owners. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis using the R software package to evaluate the psychometric properties of the PRSS and test competing model structures. We assessed validity through bivariate analyses between the PRSS and psychological stress, general stress, social support, and coping self-efficacy. Then, we conducted multiple group analysis to evaluate measurement invariance across age, race, Latine ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and gender modality. A three-factor model of pet-related stress (economic, psychological, and social stress) was the best fit for the data. Our results support convergent and divergent validity. However, the PRSS did not demonstrate measurement invariance across demographic groups. The PRSS is a promising measure of economic, psychological, and social stress related to owning pets that needs additional testing and refinement for use with marginalized populations most impacted by social disparities.
Owning pets offers various potential health benefits; however, it can be associated with gastrointestinal illnesses due to poor food safety knowledge and practices. This study aimed to evaluate the level of food safety knowledge and practices among pet owners in Lebanon, exploring the association between their knowledge/practices and socio-demographic characteristics. The participants included 300 pet owners, representing various genders, ages, educational levels, educational backgrounds, and incomes. They completed a questionnaire of 72 food handling practices and knowledge questions related to preparation, cross-contamination, storage and hygiene. In parallel, 300 non-pet owners with comparable sociodemographic characteristics to pet owners (control group) completed the questionnaire. On average, food safety knowledge scores were 62.1 ± 14.9% and 58.7 ± 15.5% among pet and non-pet owners, respectively, and the difference was significant (p = 0.05). On the other hand, mean food safety practice scores were 41.3 ± 14.8% and 40.4 ± 15.3% among pet and non-pet owners, respectively, and the difference was not significant (p = 0.41). In the food safety knowledge part, non-pet owners who were young, high income, university graduate, and from health-related majors scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher, while among pet-owners, only participants with a university degree and from health-related majors scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher, in terms of knowledge. On the other hand, In the food safety practices part, non-pet owners who were young, high income, and university graduates scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher, while among pet-owners, only young and high-income participants scored significantly (p < 0.05) higher. These results highlight the need for ongoing educational initiatives to improve food safety practices among both pet owners in Lebanon. The study suggests that targeted educational programs should be developed, considering specific socio-demographic characteristics, to enhance overall food safety awareness and practices among the population.
Discusses the human–animal bond and the effect of pets in helping to counteract some common difficulties of age. It is suggested that a pet might be expected to influence health beneficially because it becomes a companion to help decrease loneliness, to care for, to keep one active, to touch and fondle, to watch and play with, to make one feel safe, and to stimulate exercise. Guidelines for selecting pets and other practical considerations are discussed. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
245 males (mean age 46.8 yrs) and 248 females (mean age 44 yrs) were readministered the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, measures of personal functioning, and a social background index 12–15 mo after their initial assessment. There was some evidence for temporal consistency in the number and type of events Ss experienced as well as for a relationship between initial symptoms of depression (among males) and the more frequent occurrence of later events. After controlling for Ss' initial symptom levels and propensity to experience stressful events, an increase in negative events during the follow-up period was related to an increase in symptoms. Among several gender differences, negative events were found to have more impact on females than males. The confounding of the measurement of discrete stressful events and ongoing life strain is identified as potentially underlying the consistency of "events" as well as contributing to the difficulty in interpreting the relationship between "events" and functioning. (53 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The relationship between social and community ties and mortality was assessed using the 1965 Human Population Laboratory survey of a random sample of 6928 adults in Alameda County, California and a subsequent nine-year mortality follow-up. The findings show that people who lacked social and community ties were more likely to die in the follow-up period than those with more extensive contacts. The age-adjusted relative risks for those most Isolated when compared to those with the most social contacts were 2.3 for men and 2.8 for women. The association between social ties and mortality was found to be independent of self-reported physical health status at the time of the 1965 survey, year of death, socioeconomic status, and health practices such as smoking, alcoholic beverage consumption, obesity, physical activity, and utilization of preventive health services as well as a cumulative index of health practices.
This preliminary study investigated the impact of pet ownership on the health status of recently widowed urban middle-class women. Analysis of data indicated 1) statistically significant differences between pet owners and nonowners in regard to symptom experiences, with nonowners reporting more symptoms, especially those with psychogenic components; and 2) altered patterns of utilization of medications, with nonowners reporting significantly higher drug use. The findings suggest pet ownership may have a salutary effect on the adjustment of recently widowed women.
A method of sample selection for household telephone interviewing via random digit dialing is developed which significantly reduces the cost of such surveys as compared to dialing numbers completely at random. The sampling is carried out through a two-stage design and has the unusual feature that although all units have the same probability of selection, it is not necessary to know the probabilities of selection of the first-stage or the second-stage units. Simple random sampling of possible telephone numbers, within existing telephone exchanges, is inefficient because only about 20 percent of these numbers are actually telephone numbers assigned to households. The method of selection proposed reduces the proportion of unused numbers sharply.
The CES-D scale is a short self-report scale designed to measure depressive symptomatology in the general population. The items of the scale are symptoms associated with depression which have been used in previously validated longer scales. The new scale was tested in household interview surveys and in psychiatric settings. It was found to have very high internal consistency and adequate test- retest repeatability. Validity was established by pat terns of correlations with other self-report measures, by correlations with clinical ratings of depression, and by relationships with other variables which support its construct validity. Reliability, validity, and factor structure were similar across a wide variety of demographic characteristics in the general population samples tested. The scale should be a useful tool for epidemiologic studies of de pression.
This study was designed to evaluate the effect of a companion animal on the grief experienced from conjugal bereavement. It was proposed that bonded dog owners with strong social support would adjust best to the loss of a spouse, that bonded dog owners with a weak social support system would do as well as non-pet-owners with a strong social support system, and that non-pet-owners with a weak social support system would adapt the poorest. The subjects in the study consisted of 89 Caucasian women, of whom 34 were bonded dog owners. The results confirmed that there were differences in adaptation between bonded dog owners and non-pet-owners. However, the results did not confirm the proposed graded adaptation. While non-pet-owners reported a deterioration in health after the loss of their spouse, bonded dog owners reported no such deterioration if their health was good. However, bonded dog owners reported a greater sense of loss of control if they had had their dogs for a long time.
A telephone survey of a national probability sample of U.S. elderly aged 65 and over contrasts the demographic characteristics of 408 pet owners and 824 non-pet-owners residing in 1,232 households from 45 states and the District of Columbia. Significant differences between pet owners and non-pet-owners relate to marital status, education, socioeconomic status, resident region of the country, and age.
Provides an overview of the rapidly expanding area of human-animal bonding. The historical background of human-animal bonding, the current multidisciplinary interest in companion animals, and theoretical perspectives are reviewed. The article examines programmatic and legislative developments in which social workers have participated and presents implications for practice, along with relevant examples.