Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-m6dg7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T11:17:03.721Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Pets, Social Participation, and Aging-in-Place: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2018

Ann M. Toohey Open the ORCID record for Ann M. Toohey [Opens in a new window] ,
Jennifer A. Hewson ,
Cindy L. Adams  and
Melanie J. Rock
Ann M. Toohey*
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary
Jennifer A. Hewson
Affiliation:
Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary
Cindy L. Adams
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary
Melanie J. Rock
Affiliation:
Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary
*
†La correspondance et les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à : / Correspondence and requests for offprints should be sent to: Ann Toohey, Ph.D. Department of Community Health Sciences Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary 3rd Floor, Teaching, Research & Wellness Building 3280 Hospital Drive NW Calgary, AB T2N 4Z6 <[email protected]>
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess whether pet ownership contributes to social participation and life satisfaction for older adults. We used baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) for this purpose, and logistic regression models to estimate associations between social participation and life satisfaction for pet owners and non-owners. One third of all older adults (≥ 65 years, n = 7,474) in our sample reported pet ownership. Pet owners were less likely than non-pet owners to report life satisfaction and to participate frequently in social, recreational, or cultural activities, but pet owners were no less satisfied than were non-owners with their current levels of social participation. For pet owners experiencing barriers to social participation, pets appeared protective of life satisfaction in some circumstances. Both individual characteristics and structural factors linked to the World Health Organization’s age-friendly communities framework were relevant to understanding these findings.

Résumé

Des données de référence nationales et représentatives de l’Étude longitudinale canadienne sur le vieillissement (ÉLCV) ont été utilisées pour évaluer si la possession d’un animal de compagnie était associée à la participation sociale et à la satisfaction de vivre des personnes âgées (≥65 ans, n= 7,474). Des statistiques descriptives ont permis de distinguer les modalités de la possession d’animaux dans la population canadienne plus âgée, et des modèles de régression logistique ont été utilisés pour estimer les associations entre la participation sociale et la satisfaction de vivre de personnes âgées possédant ou non des animaux. Un tiers des personnes âgées de l’échantillon ont rapporté posséder des animaux. En moyenne, les personnes possédant des animaux avaient une satisfaction de vivre inférieure (OR=0,73, p<0,001) et participaient à moins d’activités sociales, récréatives et culturelles sur une base régulière (OR=0,73, p<0,001) que les personnes sans animaux; cependant, les personnes avec animaux n’étaient pas moins satisfaites de leur niveau actuel de participation sociale que celles sans animaux. Pour les propriétaires d’animaux dont la participation sociale était compromise, les animaux semblaient constituer un facteur de protection dans certaines circonstances. Des caractéristiques individuelles et des facteurs structurels liés au cadre conceptuel des Collectivités amies des aînés de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé ont permis de mieux comprendre ces résultats.

Keywords

agingage-friendly citiessocial participationcompanion animalspublic policyCLSAvieillissementmunicipalités amies des aînésparticipation socialeanimaux de compagniepolitique publiqueCLSA
Type
Article
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , June 2018 , pp. 200 - 217
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

This project was funded by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) operating grant (#MOP-130569) held by Melanie Rock. Additionally, Ann Toohey received funding via a University of Calgary – Achievers in Medical Sciences Recruitment Scholarship; a CIHR-Population Health Intervention Research Network (PHIRNET) Doctoral Studentship; and an Alberta Innovates Graduate Studentship (#201504). This research was made possible using the data collected by the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Funding for the CLSA was provided by the Government of Canada through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under grant reference: LSA 9447 and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. This research project was conducted using the CLSA dataset Baseline Tracking version 3.0, under Application Number 141206. The CLSA is led by Parminder Raina, Christina Wolfson, and Susan Kirkland.

The authors also thank three anonymous reviewers from this journal for their valuable comments, as well as Daniel Dutton, James Gillett, David Hogan, Parminder Raina, and Debbie Stoewen for conceptual input.

References

Adams, C. L., Bonnett, B. N., & Meek, A. H. (2000). Predictors of owner response to companion animal death in 177 clients from 14 practices in Ontario. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 217(9), 1303–1309.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beck, A. M., & Katcher, A. H. (2003). Future directions in human-animal bond research. American Behavioral Scientist, 47(1), 79–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bennett, P. C., Trigg, J. L., Godber, T., & Brown, C. (2015). An experience sampling approach to investigating associations between pet presence and indicators of psychological wellbeing and mood in older Australians. Anthrozoös, 28(3), 403–420.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). (2016, November 19). Data Access|Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Retrieved from https://www.clsa-elcv.ca/data-accessGoogle Scholar
Chowdhury, E. K., Nelson, M. R., Jennings, G. L., Wing, L. M., Reid, C. M., & on behalf of the ANBP2 Management Committee. (2017). Pet ownership and survival in the elderly hypertensive population. Journal of Hypertension, 35(4), 769–775.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chur-Hansen, A., Winefield, H. R., & Beckwith, M. (2009). Companion animals for elderly women: The importance of attachment. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 6(4), 281–293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curl, A. L., Bibbo, J., & Johnson, R. A. (2016). Dog walking, the human–animal bond and older adults’ physical health. The Gerontologist, 5(1), 930–989. Retrieved from https//doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw051Google Scholar
Dall, P. M., Ellis, S. L. H., Ellis, B. M., Grant, P. M., Colyer, A., Gee, N. R., … Mills, D. S. (2017). The influence of dog ownership on objective measures of free-living physical activity and sedentary behaviour in community-dwelling older adults: A longitudinal case-controlled study. BMC Public Health, 17:496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Degeling, C., & Rock, M. J. (2012). ‘It was not just a walking experience’: Reflections on the role of care in dog-walking. Health Promotion International, 28(3), 397–406.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diener, E. D., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Enmarker, I., Hellzén, O., Ekker, K., & Berg, A.-G. (2012). Health in older cat and dog owners: The Nord-Trondelag Health Study (HUNT)-3 study. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, 40(8), 718–724.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Enmarker, I., Hellzén, O., Ekker, K., & Berg, A.-G. T. (2015). Depression in older cat and dog owners: The Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT)-3. Aging & Mental Health, 19(4), 347–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Feng, Z., Dibben, C., Witham, M. D., Donnan, P. T., Vadiveloo, T., Sniehotta, F., … McMurdo, M. E. (2014). Dog ownership and physical activity in later life: A cross-sectional observational study. Preventive Medicine, 66, 101–106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, R. (2006). Animal behaviours, post-human lives: Everyday negotiations of the animal–human divide in pet-keeping. Social & Cultural Geography, 7(4), 525–537.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Friedmann, E., Thomas, S. A., & Son, H. (2011). Pets, depression and long term survival in community living patients following myocardial infarction. Anthrozoos, 24(3), 273–285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garcia, D. O., Wertheim, B. C., Manson, J. E., Chlebowski, R. T., Volpe, S. L., Howard, B. V., … Thomson, C. A. (2015). Relationships between dog ownership and physical activity in postmenopausal women. Preventive Medicine, 70, 33–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gardner, P. (2014). The role of social engagement and identity in community mobility among older adults aging in place. Disability and Rehabilitation, 36(15), 1249–1257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garrity, T. F., Stallones, L., Marx, M. B., & Johnson, T. P. (1989). Pet ownership and attachment as supportive factors in the health of the elderly. Anthrozöos, 3, 35–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gilmour, H. (2012). Social participation and the health and well-being of Canadian seniors. Health Reports, 23(4), 1B.Google ScholarPubMed
Graham, T. M., & Glover, T. D. (2014). On the fence: Dog parks in the (un) leashing of community and social capital. Leisure Sciences, 36(3), 217–234.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hansen, P. (2013). Urban Japan’s “fuzzy” new families: Affect and embodiment in dog–human relationships. Asian Anthropology, 12(2), 83–103.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Headey, B., Na, F., & Zheng, R. (2007). Pet dogs benefit owners’ health: A ‘natural experiment’ in China. Social Indicators Research, 87(3), 481–493. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-007-9142-2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Himsworth, C. G., & Rock, M. J. (2013). Pet ownership, other domestic relationships, and satisfaction with life among seniors: Results from a Canadian national survey. Anthrozöos, 26(2), 295–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johansson, M., Ahlström, G., & Jönsson, A.-C. (2014). Living with companion animals after stroke: Experiences of older people in community and primary care nursing. British Journal of Community Nursing, 19(12), 578–584.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kirkland, S. A., Griffith, L. E., Menec, V., Wister, A., Payette, H., Wolfson, C., & Raina, P. S. (2015). Mining a unique Canadian resource: The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 34(3), 366–377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Knight, S., & Edwards, V. (2008). In the company of wolves: The physical, social, and psychological benefits of dog ownership. Journal of Aging and Health, 20(4), 437–455.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Krause-Parello, C. A. (2012). Pet ownership and older women: The relationships among loneliness, pet attachment support, human social support, and depressed mood. Geriatric Nursing, 33(3), 194–203.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levasseur, M., Richard, L., Gauvin, L., & Raymond, É. (2010). Inventory and analysis of definitions of social participation found in the aging literature: Proposed taxonomy of social activities. Social Science & Medicine, 71(12), 2141–2149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mahalski, P. A., Jones, R., & Maxwell, G. M. (1988). The value of cat ownership to elderly women living alone. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 27(4), 249–260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McLaren, L., & Hawe, P. (2005). Ecological perspectives in health research. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 59(1), 6–14.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McNicholas, J. (2014). The role of pets in the lives of older people: A review. Working with Older People, 18(3), 128–133. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-06-2014-0014CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McNicholas, J., & Collis, G. M. (2000). Dogs as catalysts for social interactions: Robustness of the effect. British Journal of Psychology, 91(1), 61–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McNicholas, J., Gilbey, A., Rennie, A., Ahmedzai, S., Dono, J.-A., & Ormerod, E. (2005). Pet ownership and human health: A brief review of evidence and issues. BMJ, 331(7527), 1252–1254.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menec, V. H., Means, R., Keating, N., Parkhurst, G., & Eales, J. (2011). Conceptualizing age-friendly communities. Canadian Journal on Aging/Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 30(03), 479–493.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morley, C., & Fook, J. (2005). The importance of pet loss and some implications for services. Mortality, 10(2), 127–143.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pachana, N. A., Ford, J. H., Andrew, B., & Dobson, A. J. (2005). Relations between companion animals and self-reported health in older women: Cause, effect or artifact? International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 12(2), 103–110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parslow, R. A., Jorm, A. F., Christensen, H., Rodgers, B., & Jacomb, P. (2005). Pet ownership and health in older adults: Findings from a survey of 2,551 community-based Australians aged 60–64. Gerontology, 51(1), 40–47.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (2008). The Satisfaction With Life Scale and the emerging construct of life satisfaction. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 3(2), 137–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peak, T., Ascione, F., & Doney, J. (2012). Adult protective services and animal welfare: Should animal abuse and neglect be assessed during adult protective services screening? Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect, 24(1), 37–49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Peel, E., Douglas, M., Parry, O., & Lawton, J. (2010). Type 2 diabetes and dog walking: Patients’ longitudinal perspectives about implementing and sustaining physical activity. The British Journal of General Practice, 60(577), 570–577.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perrin, T. (2009). The Business of Urban Animals Survey: The facts and statistics on companion animals in Canada. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 50(1), 48–52.Google ScholarPubMed
Pikhartova, J., Bowling, A., & Victor, C. (2014). Does owning a pet protect older people against loneliness? BMC Geriatrics, 14, 106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Plouffe, L. A., Garon, S., Brownoff, J., Eve, D., Foucault, M.-L., Lawrence, R., … Toews, V. (2012). Advancing age-friendly communities in Canada. Canadian Review of Social Policy, 68/69, 24–38.Google Scholar
Plouffe, L. A., & Kalache, A. (2011). Making communities age friendly: State and municipal initiatives in Canada and other countries. Gaceta Sanitaria, 25, 131–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poresky, R. H., & Daniels, A. M. (1998). Demographics of pet presence and attachment. Anthrozöos, 11(4), 236–241.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Power, E. R. (2008). Furry families: Making a human–dog family through home. Social & Cultural Geography, 9(5), 535–555.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Power, E. R. (2017). Renting with pets: A pathway to housing insecurity? Housing Studies, 32(3), 336–360.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2016, March 29). Age-friendly communities–Aging and seniors. Retrieved from http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/seniors-aines/afc-caa-eng.php#sec4Google Scholar
Putney, J. M. (2013). Relational ecology: A theoretical framework for understanding the human-animal bond. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 40(4), 57–80.Google Scholar
Putney, J. M. (2014). Older lesbian adults’ psychological well-being: The significance of pets. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 26(1), 1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Raina, P. S., Waltner-Toews, D., Bonnett, B., Woodward, C., & Abernathy, T. (1999). Influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people: An analysis of a one-year longitudinal study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 47(3), 323–329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raina, P. S., Wolfson, C., & Kirkland, S. A. (2008). Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) protocol. Hamilton, ON: Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Retrieved from https://www.clsa-elcv.ca/researchersGoogle Scholar
Raina, P. S., Wolfson, C., Kirkland, S. A., Griffith, L. E., Oremus, M., Patterson, C., … Brazil, K. (2009). The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue Canadienne Du Vieillissement, 28(Special Issue 03), 221–229.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richard, L., Gauvin, L., Gosselin, C., & Laforest, S. (2009). Staying connected: Neighbourhood correlates of social participation among older adults living in an urban environment in Montréal, Quebec. Health Promotion International, 24(1), 46–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richard, L., Gauvin, L., Kestens, Y., Shatenstein, B., Payette, H., Daniel, M., … Mercille, G. (2013). Neighborhood resources and social participation among older adults results from the VoisiNuage Study. Journal of Aging and Health, 25(2), 296–318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Richard, L., Gauvin, L., & Raine, K. (2011). Ecological models revisited: Their uses and evolution in health promotion over two decades. Annual Review of Public Health, 32, 307–326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rock, M. J. (2013). Pet bylaws and posthumanist health promotion: A case study of urban policy. Critical Public Health, 23, 201–212.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rogers, J., Hart, L. A., & Boltz, R. P. (1993). The role of pet dogs in casual conversations of elderly adults. Journal of Social Psychology, 133(3), 265–277.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, S., & Ziebland, S. (2015). On interviewing people with pets: Reflections from qualitative research on people with long-term conditions. Sociology of Health & Illness, 37(1), 67–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scharlach, A. E., & Lehning, A. J. (2013). Ageing-friendly communities and social inclusion in the United States of America. Ageing & Society, 33(Special Issue 01), 110–136.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Statistics Canada. (2017, May 3). Age and sex, and type of dwelling data: Key results from the 2016 census. Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/170503/dq170503a-eng.htm?HPA=1Google Scholar
Steels, S. (2015). Key characteristics of age-friendly cities and communities: A review. Cities, 47, 45–52.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swift, A. U., & Tate, R. B. (2013). Themes from older men’s lay definitions of successful aging as indicators of primary and secondary control beliefs over time: The Manitoba Follow-up Study. Journal of Aging Studies, 27(4), 410–418.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thorpe, R. J., Simonsick, E. M., Brach, J. S., Ayonayon, H., Satterfield, S., Harris, T. B., … Kritchevsky, S. B. (2006). Dog ownership, walking behavior, and maintained mobility in late life. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 54(9), 1419–1424.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tissot, S. (2011). Of dogs and men: The making of spatial boundaries in a gentrifying neighborhood. City & Community, 10(3), 265–284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Toohey, A. M., McCormack, G. R., Doyle-Baker, P. K., Adams, C. L., & Rock, M. J. (2013). Dog-walking and sense of community in neighborhoods: Implications for promoting regular physical activity in adults 50 years and older. Health & Place, 22, 75–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Toohey, A. M., & Rock, M. J. (2011). Unleashing their potential: A critical realist scoping review of the influence of dogs on physical activity for dog owners and non-owners. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 8(1), 46–54.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
United Nations. (2015). World population ageing: 2015. New York, NY: United Nations –Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. Retrieved from http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/pdf/ageing/WPA2015_Report.pdfGoogle Scholar
Wells, Y., & Rodi, H. (2000). Effects of pet ownership on the health and well-being of older people. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 19(3), 143–148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wood, L. J., Giles-Corti, B., & Bulsara, M. (2005). The pet connection: Pets as a conduit for social capital? Social Science & Medicine, 61(6), 1159–1173.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wood, L. J., Giles-Corti, B., Bulsara, M. K., & Bosch, D. A. (2007). More than a furry companion: The ripple effect of companion animals on neighborhood interactions and sense of community. Society & Animals, 15(1), 43–56.Google Scholar
World Health Organization. (2007). Global age-friendly cities: A guide. Geneva, CHE: Author.Google Scholar
Zimolag, U., & Krupa, T. (2009). Pet ownership as a meaningful community occupation for people with serious mental illness. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 63(2), 126–137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed