Untersuchung zum Zusammenhang zwischen Heimtierbesitz und menschlicher Gesundheit bei älteren Personen in Deutschland

Since the 1980s researchers are investigating the beneficial effects of pets on human health. The current state of research is characterized by heterogeneity of results, rarity of longitudinal analysis, few studies with German population and search for moderators and mediators in order to explain the possible association. The present study aims at examining the (possibly differential) impact of dogs and cats primarily on their owner’s self-rated physical and mental health both, cross-sectional and longitudinal, using a German sample of elderly as in particular older people may benefit from pet ownership. In addition to demographic characteristics, the owner’s loneliness and human social support are investigated cross-sectional for being potential mediators. Socioeconomic data is provided by the Berliner Altersstudie II. The total sample comprises 1 286 people aged 60 years or older, who completed the survey questionnaire 2012 and 2014. Cross-sectional results predominantly show inferior physical and mental health of pet owners compared to nonowners, even if considering the (non-) owner’s demographic characteristics. Merely the cat owner’s disadvantages in health can be explained by the owner’s feeling of loneliness, whereas no explanatory construct can be found accounting for dog ownership in this study. However, longitudinal results most notably reveal gains in mental health after pet, especially dog acquisition compared to permanent non-ownership, whilst permanent pet ownership is not accompanied with (any more) advantages in health and loss of a cat seems to provide gains in physical health. The present study confirms the importance of longitudinal analysis, indicates differences between cat and dog ownership and spotlights the question of short or long term effects as well as possible limits of the improvement of the elderly pet owner’s health.