The Impact of a Pet, in This Case a Dog, on Physical Activity, Independence, Social Contacts, Health and Quality of Life of Elderly People

Abstract

In a rural area near Munich, 52 persons aged 65 years and older were interviewed in person about health and social life circumstances. Findings: Dog owners take significantly longer walks than people who do not own dogs, averaging more than 120 minutes daily (p < 0.0001). On average, people who do not own a dog walked 38 minutes, cat owners 17 minutes. 94% of the dog owners were active daily compared to 14% of those who do not own a dog. Dog owners go to the doctor on average 5.3 times per year, people who do not own a dog 7.8 times. There was no difference between the two groups in regard to the use of medication. 80% would not move to a residential home for the elderly because of the dog, and 87% would want to take the dog along. 50% of the dog owners and 41% of those who do not own a dog had on average more than 3 contacts with other people, 6% of the dog owners and 23% of those who do not own a dog had less than one contact per day. 19% of the dog owners and 36% of those who do not own a dog would describe themselves as reserved in dealings with people. 71% stated that the dog had been very useful to help them overcome the loss of a person close to them. The W-5 [Wellbeing Five score] for dog owners was an average value of 75%, for those who did not own a dog 71%. Depression was uniformly distributed in both groups. The BMIs in both groups were similar. There was no correlation to the length of the daily walk.

Loneliness, Depression, and Physical Activity in Older Adults: The Therapeutic Role of Human–Animal Interactions

“…However, dog walking does not always demonstrate better health outcomes. Poestges, Gresser, and Richartz (2016) found that when comparing dog owners (n = 16) with non-dog owners (n = 41), there were no significant differences between them on health factors (BMI, medical conditions, taking medications, doctor visits, and depression). The dog owners, though, demonstrated significantly longer walk durations, with an average of approximately 840 minutes per week.…”

Allostatic load and canine companionship: a comparative study using biomarkers in older adults

“…Among the positive results of the canine companionship on health in older adults are the improvement in health perception and quality of life 12 , 15 - 16 , motivation for the older adult to walk and increase his walking time 17 - 19 and take a better care of himself when he has a chronic-degenerative disease 20 , there is a decrease in medical visits 18 , 21 , decrease in the feeling of loneliness 19 , 22 ). , in addition to facilitate social interaction, improve empathy and the perception of emotions 21 , help to cope with the loss of a loved one 18 , decrease the perception of stress 11 and the systolic blood pressure 11 , 21 , there are lower levels of depression and anxiety 19 and, at a biochemical level, people with a canine companionship have lower levels of cortisol 19 , 21 , 23 , triglycerides and cholesterol 21 .…”

“…Among the negative effects, it is mentioned the possible risks, such as zoonotic diseases proper of canine species 14 , difficulty to change residence or attend a stay for older adults, as pets are not allowed in these places and because they do not want to abandon them 18 . Other studies show that stress levels in people with canine companionship are higher as it involves expenses with veterinary and food, as well as care 21 .…”