Understanding the Relationship Between Pet Ownership and Physical Activity Among Older Community-Dwelling Adults-A Mixed Methods Study

The Perks of Pet Ownership? The Effects of Pet Ownership on Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pet ownership has often been lauded as a protective factor for well-being, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. We expanded this question to consider how pet (i.e., species, number) and owner (i.e., pet relationship quality, personality, attachment orientations) characteristics affected the association between pet ownership and well-being in a pre-registered mixed method analysis of 767 people assessed three times in May 2020. In our qualitative analyses, pet owners listed both benefits and costs of pet ownership during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our quantitative analyses, we found that pet ownership was not reliably associated with well-being. Furthermore, this association largely did not depend on the number of pets owned, the species of pet(s) owned, the quality of the human-pet relationship, or the owner's psychological characteristics. Our findings are consistent with a large body of research showing null associations of pet ownership on well-being (quantitatively) but positive reports of pet ownership (qualitatively).

"Whoever takes the dog gets the house": How older adults negotiate, budget, and deploy resources for multispecies family health and well-being

In this study, we interrogate the ways that older adult pet owners exercise their agency within the limits of their social statuses to allocate their resources for the management of the health needs of their multispecies families. Guided by fundamental cause theory, we consider how the participants' memberships in socially constructed categories can impact their experiences with household health management. We conducted focus groups with 30 community-dwelling older adults who owned pets. Using a thematic analytic approach, we found that the participants' bonds with their pets led them to negotiate priorities and make concessions for the benefit of the household.

Facilitators and barriers to real-life mobility in community-dwelling older adults: a narrative review of accelerometry- and global positioning system-based studies

Real-life mobility, also called "enacted" mobility, characterizes an individual's activity and participation in the community. Real-life mobility may be facilitated or hindered by a variety of factors, such as physical abilities, cognitive function, psychosocial aspects, and external environment characteristics. Advances in technology have allowed for objective quantification of real-life mobility using wearable sensors, specifically, accelerometry and global positioning systems (GPSs). In this review article, first, we summarize the common mobility measures extracted from accelerometry and GPS. Second, we summarize studies assessing the associations of facilitators and barriers influencing mobility of community-dwelling older adults with mobility measures from sensor technology. We found the most used accelerometry measures focus on the duration and intensity of activity in daily life. Gait quality measures, e.g., cadence, variability, and symmetry, are not usually included. GPS has been used to investigate mobility behavior, such as spatial and temporal measures of path traveled, location nodes traversed, and mode of transportation. Factors of note that facilitate/hinder community mobility were cognition and psychosocial influences. Fewer studies have included the influence of external environments, such as sidewalk quality, and socio-economic status in defining enacted mobility. Increasing our understanding of the facilitators and barriers to enacted mobility can inform wearable technology-enabled interventions targeted at delaying mobility-related disability and improving participation of older adults in the community.

Exploring the Association Between Affect and Leisure Activity Engagement in Black Adults

OBJECTIVES

This study examined engagement levels across various domains of leisure activities in community-dwelling Black adults (age range = 50-80 years) and variability in daily leisure activity engagement and positive affect (PA; positive emotions or mood) and negative affect (NA; negative emotions or mood). Additionally, we explored whether PA and NA were associated with leisure activity engagement and whether these associations varied by sociodemographics.

METHODS

Fifty adults (78% women; mean education = 11.62 years, standard deviation = 2.4) reported affect and leisure activity engagement over 8 occasions (2-3 weeks).

RESULTS

Participants averaged 3 leisure activities/day with more engagement in watching television (news), walking, reading, and visiting others. Multilevel models identified significant within-person variation across domains of leisure activity engagement. A significant main effect was observed between daily NA and reduced social activity engagement. A significant interaction between NA and education was further illustrated on those occasions when NA was higher than usual, social and total leisure activity engagement tended to be lower, particularly for adults with ≤10 years of education. A significant interaction between NA and education was observed for entertainment activities. However, results indicated adults with ≥14 years of education, and a mean NA above the sample average, tended to engage in more entertainment activities. Finally, a significant interaction between PA and age was observed indicating adults aged ≥73 had a greater social engagement, particularly when daily PA was heightened.

DISCUSSION

Results demonstrate within-person changes in the types of leisure engagement among Black adults. Potential factors related to these changes may result from interconnections between affect and demographic factors (age and education).

Understanding the Benefits, Challenges, and the Role of Pet Ownership in the Daily Lives of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Case Study

Simple Summary

This qualitative case study explores the perceived benefits and challenges of pet ownership for a community-dwelling older adult and her miniature schnauzer, from the perspectives of the pet owner and her community healthcare provider. The findings suggest that the pet’s well-being is an important part of the pet–owner relationship for Violet, the older adult. Sharing her daily life with her pet, Jack, gives her a sense of safety, positively influences her mood, and motivates her to carry out her daily activities. In return, Jack benefits from her daily presence and care. The challenges of pet ownership included a low-risk potential of falling, pet-related concerns, and financial costs. Both participants agree that the benefits outweigh the challenges for both Violet and Jack. Findings of this study suggest that caring for the pet is a meaningful aspect of the pet–owner relationship. Future studies should explore how to support human–animal relationships for community-dwelling older adults via pet ownership. Improving the fit between characteristics of the elderly pet owners and their pets will maximize benefits and minimize potential challenges; thus, supporting both aging-in-place and the well-being of animals.

Abstract

Human–animal interactions may positively impact the health and well-being of older adults. Considering about one third of community-dwelling older adults report owning a pet, better understanding the benefits, challenges, and the role of pet ownership may help support the relationships between older adults and their pets. This case study aims to better understand the role of pet ownership in the daily lives of older adults and explore the benefits and the challenges of owning a pet for this population. Interviews were conducted with Violet, a 77-year-old dog owner and her healthcare provider. Qualitative data were analyzed by two evaluators and validated by the participants. Both participants agree that the benefits outweigh the challenges for both the older adult and her pet. The benefits and challenges were the following: Violet, taking care of her dog (Jack), (1) could provide Violet with a sense of safety and positively influence her mood; (2) may introduce a slight fall risk; (3) includes financial costs to consider. Ensuring Jack’s well-being is important for Violet and her dog benefits from Violet’s continual presence and care. The findings suggest that improving the fit between characteristics of the owner and their pet may support the meaningful role of pet ownership within the context of aging-in-place.

The Relation Between Pet Ownership, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms in Late Life: Propensity Score Matched Analyses

The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms between older adult pet owners and non-pet owners after accounting for various correlates. Research findings on the anxiety-relieving and antidepressant effects of late-life pet ownership are mixed and limited. This may be due in part to various characteristics that impact the likelihood of owning a pet. Propensity score matching was used to pair 169 pet owners with 169 non-pet owners aged 70 to 91 years who participated in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging. One set of propensity scores was created using age, sex, race, rurality, marital status, and income, as well as self-reported health, difficulty with activities of daily living, and difficulty with instrumental activities of daily living. A second set of scores was created using age, sex, race, rurality, marital status, and income. Multiple linear regression analyses were then used to explore the relation between pet ownership status and anxiety or depressive symptoms, controlling for the other symptoms. Pet ownership was significantly associated with lower self-reported anxiety symptoms (β = -0.14) but not depressive symptoms (β = -0.03) in the data matched without health variables. When propensity score matching included health variables, pet ownership was related to neither symptoms of anxiety (β = -0.08) nor depression (β = 0.05). These results suggest that owning a pet in later life is related to fewer anxiety symptoms, over and above the impact of depressive symptoms, even after accounting for various demographic and economic covariates. However, general and functional health appear to be critical to this relation, but the direction of this relation could not be determined from our analyses (i.e., it is not clear whether the relation between pet ownership and anxiety symptoms is confounded by, mediates, or is mediated by health). This study is the first large-scale analysis to find a significant relation between pet ownership and fewer anxiety symptoms in older adults.