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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people
— an analysis of a one-year longitudinal study | | Author(s) | Parminder Raina, David Waltner-Toews, Brenda Bonnett |
| Journal title | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol 47, no 3, March 1999 |
| Pages | pp 323-329 |
| Keywords | Pet keeping ; Health [elderly] ; Mental health [elderly] ; Self care capacity ; Mobility ; Longitudinal surveys ; Canada. |
| Annotation | The health benefits of pet ownership have been widely reported. A 1-year Canadian study of 1,054 over-65s living at home (995 at follow-up) was based on telephone interviews. Social Network Activity was measured using a family and non-family social support scale, participation in an organised social group, involvement in the affairs of the social group, the practice of confiding in others, feelings of loneliness, and the perceived presence of support in a crisis situation. Chronic conditions were measured as the current number of selected health problems. Pet ownership was assessed by the report of owning a cat or dog and the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale score. Physical health was assessed by ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Psychological health was measured as a summed score of level of satisfaction with health, friend and family relationships, job, finances, life in general, overall happiness, and perceived mental health. Pet owners were younger, currently married or living with someone, and more physically active than non-pet owners. A complex relationship was observed between pet ownership and an older person's well-being. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-001107008 A |
| Classmark | HVT: CC: D: CA: C4: 3J: 7S |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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