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+)”

André Hajek; Karl Peltzer; Nicola Veronese; Hans‐Helmut König; Razak M. Gyasi

doi:10.1002/gps.6127

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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+)”

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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+)”

André Hajek, Karl Peltzer, Nicola Veronese, Hans‐Helmut König and Razak M. Gyasi

International journal of geriatric psychiatry, Vol.39(7), e6127

07/2024

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.6127

Appears in Recent National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine Publications

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Abstract

aged, 80 and above

cat

depression

dog

life satisfaction

loneliness

mental health

oldest old

pet

psychosocial outcomes

successful aging

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.

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Title: 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+)”
Creators: André Hajek - University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Karl Peltzer - Mahidol University
Nicola Veronese - University of Palermo
Hans‐Helmut König - University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf
Razak M. Gyasi - African Population and Health Research Center
Publication Details: International journal of geriatric psychiatry, Vol.39(7), e6127
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Identifiers: 991013209801802368
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
Academic Unit: National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

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+)”

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