The Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) has awarded a grant to the University of Guelph to investigate how pet ownership may affect mortality among older adults in Canada.
Principal Investigator Dr. Lauren Grant, assistant professor of environmental and public health in the Department of Population Medicine at the Ontario Veterinary College, will lead the research.
The study will draw on data from the Canadian Community Health Survey - Healthy Aging and the Canadian Vital Statistics Death Database. Using longitudinal data and mediation analysis, researchers will work to differentiate the direct and indirect effects of pet ownership on all-cause and cause-specific mortality. The research will examine psychosocial and behavioral factors including companionship, isolation, loneliness, physical activity and body mass index.
"This is the first path or mediation analysis of pet ownership, psychosocial variables, health behaviors and multiple mortality outcomes among older adults using linked health survey and mortality records," Grant said. "This information can be used by clinicians in practice to convey how pet ownership can improve healthy aging."
Steven Feldman, president of HABRI, said the institute is backing the study to build on existing evidence connecting pets to better health outcomes in aging populations.
"Solid science links pet ownership to healthy aging, increased longevity and reduced loneliness," Feldman said. "HABRI is proud to support this important study to explore these connections more deeply, enhancing our understanding of the profound benefits of the human-animal bond."
