Pet ownership and health in older adults: Findings from a survey of 2,551 community-based australians aged 60-64

Abstract

Background: It is commonly assumed that owning a pet provides older residents in the community with health benefits including improved physical health and psychological well-being. It has also been reported that pet owners are lower on neuroticism and higher on extraversion compared with those without pets. However, findings of research on this topic have been mixed with a number of researchers reporting that, for older people, there is little or no health benefit associated with pet ownership. Objective: To identify health benefits associated with pet ownership and pet caring responsibilities in a large sample of older community-based residents. Methods: Using survey information provided by..