Pet ownership and psychosocial outcomes among the oldest old in Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings based on the nationally representative "Old Age in Germany (D80+)"
Standard
Pet ownership and psychosocial outcomes among the oldest old in Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings based on the nationally representative "Old Age in Germany (D80+)". / Hajek, André; Peltzer, Karl; Veronese, Nicola; König, Hans-Helmut; Gyasi, Razak M.
in: INT J GERIATR PSYCH, Jahrgang 39, Nr. 7, e6127, 17.07.2024.Publikationen: SCORING: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift/Zeitung › SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz › Forschung › Begutachtung
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Pet ownership and psychosocial outcomes among the oldest old in Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic. Findings based on the nationally representative "Old Age in Germany (D80+)"
AU - Hajek, André
AU - Peltzer, Karl
AU - Veronese, Nicola
AU - König, Hans-Helmut
AU - Gyasi, Razak M
N1 - © 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
PY - 2024/7/17
Y1 - 2024/7/17
N2 - OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between pet ownership and psychosocial outcomes among the oldest old in Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic.METHODS/DESIGN: Data from the "Old Age in Germany (D80+)" study were used, a large, nationwide representative study covering both individuals living at home and individuals in nursing homes aged 80 years and above (n = 2867 individuals). The telephone interviews were conducted from May to October 2021. Established tools (e.g., "Short Form of the Depression in Old Age Scale", DIA-S4) were used to quantify the outcomes. Five groups were generated: (1) no pet ownership, (2) having at least one dog (but no other pets), (3) having at least one cat (but no other pets), (4) having at least one other pet (but neither dogs nor cats), (5) having at least two different types of pets (in any combination).RESULTS: Multiple linear regressions showed that compared to individuals without a pet, individuals having at least one dog had significantly lower loneliness levels (β = -0.21, p < 0.01). In the fully-adjusted models, other forms of pet ownership were not significantly associated with the outcomes examined.CONCLUSION: Particularly living with a dog was associated with lower loneliness among the oldest old people in Germany. If living with a dog is in line with the preferences and attitudes of the very old, this could be a strategy for reducing loneliness in this age group.
AB - OBJECTIVES: To examine the association between pet ownership and psychosocial outcomes among the oldest old in Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic.METHODS/DESIGN: Data from the "Old Age in Germany (D80+)" study were used, a large, nationwide representative study covering both individuals living at home and individuals in nursing homes aged 80 years and above (n = 2867 individuals). The telephone interviews were conducted from May to October 2021. Established tools (e.g., "Short Form of the Depression in Old Age Scale", DIA-S4) were used to quantify the outcomes. Five groups were generated: (1) no pet ownership, (2) having at least one dog (but no other pets), (3) having at least one cat (but no other pets), (4) having at least one other pet (but neither dogs nor cats), (5) having at least two different types of pets (in any combination).RESULTS: Multiple linear regressions showed that compared to individuals without a pet, individuals having at least one dog had significantly lower loneliness levels (β = -0.21, p < 0.01). In the fully-adjusted models, other forms of pet ownership were not significantly associated with the outcomes examined.CONCLUSION: Particularly living with a dog was associated with lower loneliness among the oldest old people in Germany. If living with a dog is in line with the preferences and attitudes of the very old, this could be a strategy for reducing loneliness in this age group.
KW - Humans
KW - Germany/epidemiology
KW - COVID-19/psychology
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Pets/psychology
KW - Male
KW - Female
KW - Loneliness/psychology
KW - Animals
KW - Dogs
KW - Cats
KW - Ownership/statistics & numerical data
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - Nursing Homes/statistics & numerical data
KW - Human-Animal Bond
U2 - 10.1002/gps.6127
DO - 10.1002/gps.6127
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
C2 - 39019649
VL - 39
JO - INT J GERIATR PSYCH
JF - INT J GERIATR PSYCH
SN - 0885-6230
IS - 7
M1 - e6127
ER -