Animals & general human health

Pets and Human Health in Germany and Australia: National Longitudinal Results

anthrozoology — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:41:32 +1000

Journal Social Indicators Research

Issue Volume 80, Number 2 / January, 2007 Pages 297-311

Bruce Headey

Markus M. Grabka

The German and Australian longitudinal surveys analysed here are the first national representative surveys to show that (1) people who continuously own a pet are the healthiest group and (2) people who cease to have a pet or never had one are less healthy. Most previous studies which have claimed that pets confer health benefits were cross-sectional. So they were open to the objection that owners may have been healthier in the first place, rather than becoming healthier due to owning a pet. In both countries the data show that pet owners make about 15% fewer annual doctor visits than non-owners. The relationship remains statistically significant after controlling for gender, age, marital status, income and other variables associated with health. The German data come from the German Socio-Economic Panel in which respondents have been interviewed every year since 1984 (N = 9723). Australian data come from the Australian National Social Science Survey 2001 (N = 1246).

Influences of Pets on the Empty Nester Family

anthrozoology — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 16:01:20 +1000

Fu Na & Zheng Richang; Psychology College Beijing Normal University Beijing 100875

Chinese Mental Health Journal Vol 17, Number 8, August 2003

Objective: To investigate the influence of pets on the empty nester. Method: 719 families have been investigated with ADL (activity of daily living) and questions about life satisfaction , 161 of them owned pets. Result: There was no significant difference between pet-owners and others (control) in gender, occupations and family income. The pet owners were younger than the control group. More of them were married, and they have lower education than control group. The pet owners had better mental and physical states than the control. The above differences were significant in statistics. Conclusion: Pet owners are younger, lower educated , their marriages are more stable, and they have better mental and physical states. Further research shall be carried on the respects of social support, life events and pet dependence.

The pet connection: pets as a conduit for social capital?

anthrozoology — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:59:12 +1000

Lisa Wood, Billie Giles-Corti, Max Bulsara; School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia

Social Science and Medicine 61 (2005) 1159-1173

There is growing interest across a range of disciplines in the relationship between pets and health, with a range of therapeutic, physiological, psychological and psychosocial benefits now documented. While much of the literature has focused on the individual benefits of pet ownership, this study considered the potential health benefits that might accrue to the broader community, as encapsulated in the construct of social capital. A random survey of 339 residents from Perth, Western Australia were selected from three suburbs and interviewed by telephone. Pet ownership was found to be positively associated with some forms of social contact and interaction, and with perceptions of neighbourhood friendliness. After adjustment for demographic variables, pet owners scored higher on social capital and civic engagement scales. The results suggest that pet ownership provides potential opportunities for interactions between neighbours and that further research in this area is warranted. Social capital is another potential mechanism by which pets exert an influence on human health.

Pet ownership and cardiovascular risk reduction: supporting evidence, conflicting data and underlying mechanisms.

anthrozoology — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:32:14 +1100

Arhant-Sudhir, K.; Arhant-Sudhir, R.; Sudhir, K.;

Friends With Benefits: On the Positive Consequences of Pet Ownership

anthrozoology — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:12:47 +1100

McConnell, A. R., Brown, C. M., Shoda, T. M., Stayton, L. E., & Martin, C. E. .

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (2011, July 4)

Social support is critical for psychological and physical well-being, reflecting the centrality of belongingness
in our lives. Human interactions often provide people with considerable social support, but can
pets also fulfill one’s social needs? Although there is correlational evidence that pets may help
individuals facing significant life stressors, little is known about the well-being benefits of pets for
everyday people. Study 1 found in a community sample that pet owners fared better on several well-being
(e.g., greater self-esteem, more exercise) and individual-difference (e.g., greater conscientiousness, less
fearful attachment) measures. Study 2 assessed a different community sample and found that owners
enjoyed better well-being when their pets fulfilled social needs better, and the support that pets provided
complemented rather than competed with human sources. Finally, Study 3 brought pet owners into the
laboratory and experimentally demonstrated the ability of pets to stave off negativity caused by social
rejection. In summary, pets can serve as important sources of social support, providing many positive
psychological and physical benefits for their owners.

Short-Term Interaction between Dogs and Their Owners: Effects on Oxytocin, Cortisol, Insulin and Heart Rate—An Exploratory Study

anthrozoology — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:59:23 +1100

Handlin, Linda; Hydbring-Sandberg, Eva; Nilsson, Anne; Ejdebäck, Mikael; Jansson, Anna; Uvnäs-Moberg, Kerstin

Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, Volume 24, Number 3, September 2011

The aim of this exploratory study was to determine heart rate and the levels of oxytocin, cortisol, and insulin in dogs and their owners in response to a short-term interaction.

From "one medicine" to "one health" and systemic approaches to health and well-being.

anthrozoology — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:48:35 +1100

Zinsstag, J.; Schelling, E.; Waltner-Toews, D.; Tanner, M.;

Pets, depression and long-term survival in community living patients following myocardial infarction.

anthrozoology — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:46:15 +1100

Friedmann, E.; Thomas, S. A.; Son, H. S.;

A category-specific response to animals in the right human amygdala

anthrozoology — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:54:03 +1000

Florian Mormann, Julien Dubois,Simon Kornblith,Milica Milosavljevic, Moran Cerf, Matias Ison, Naotsugu Tsuchiya, Alexander Kraskov, Rodrigo Quian Quiroga, Ralph Adolphs, Itzhak Fried, Christof Koch

Should immunocompromised patients have pets?.

anthrozoology — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:01:02 +1000

Steele, Russell W.

Animals &amp; general human health