dog owners may have lower risk of developing disability in older age

sorry cat owners, researchers found that owning a kitty didn't seem to have a significant effect on the disability rate or risk of death of their humans.

by emma jones

published feb 28, 2022

last updated feb 17, 2023

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dog owners may have lower risk of developing disability in older age

owning a dog has previously been connected to increased physical activity, especially during poor weather, compared to non-dog owners. getty

your furry friend may offer more than just their adorable puppy eyes and a drool-filled smooch, as research indicates that owning a dog may help protect against developing a disability in older age.

researchers from the national institute for environmental studies in tsukuba, japan analyzed surveys from 11,233 participants, aged 65 to 84 years, living in ota city, tokyo. the respondents were living independently when the initial survey was sent out in 2016, with follow up happening until january 2020 (to avoid potential overlap with the covid-19 pandemic.) as part of the questionnaire, residents were asked if they currently, never or previously lived with a dog or cat.

once controlling for sociodemographic factors and health at the start of the study, researchers found that participants who were currently living with a dog were almost half as likely (odds ratio = 0.54), when compared to participants who had never owned a dog, to receive a certification from the japanese long-term care insurance (ltci) system. the ltci system is a mandatory assessment for adults 40 and older in japan that assesses for cognitive and functional disability, and receiving a certification from this system indicates the resident has developed a physical or cognitive disability.

there was no statistically significant change in death rate between pet owners and non-owners.

owning a cat did not seem to have a significant effect on disability rate or on death rate in the study population. there also wasn’t a statistically significant difference for developing a disability between those who had previously owned, but did not currently live, with a dog.

just under 14 per cent of the participants (13.8 per cent) were living with a dog or a cat when the study was sent out, with 8.6 per cent being dog owners and 6.3 per cent being cat owners. the current dog owners were “disproportionately women, younger, married or living with a partner, had more formal education, higher equivalent incomes, were more likely to drink alcohol and smoke, had a lower rate of frailty status, took more exercise, went outdoors more, and had closer relationships with [their] neighbour,” wrote study authors.

rain or shine, fido has to go for a walk

the research was conducted with an aim to find ways to promote health in older age, wrote the authors, especially important during the covid-19 crisis when in-person activities are considered risky.

owning a dog has previously been connected to increased physical activity, especially during poor weather, compared to non-dog owners. research also shows that owning either a dog or a cat correlates with more social interaction with neighbours.