Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2440/51992
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Type: Journal article
Title: Health Effects of Ownership of and Attachment to Companion Animals in an Older Population
Author: Winefield, H.
Black, A.
Chur-Hansen, A.
Citation: International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 2008; 15(4):303-310
Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc Inc
Issue Date: 2008
ISSN: 1070-5503
1532-7558
Statement of
Responsibility: 
Helen R. Winefield, Anne Black and Anna Chur-Hansen
Abstract: Background: Two reasons for the inconclusiveness of the literature on the health effects of pet ownership are (1) failure to control for other known influences on health, and (2) inadequate consideration of the nature of the emotional relationship between owners and their companion animals.Purpose: The main aims were to develop a measure of pet attachment that reflects psychologists’ use of the attachment concept, and to see if pet ownership or attachment added to the health variance explained by known predictors.Method: Community-living older adults (n = 314) gave information by interview using structured questions and standardized scales. Multiple regressions were then conducted to examine the possible predictive role of health habits, human social supports, pet ownership, and owners’ attachment to the pet, on health and well-being.Results: The pet attachment measure showed good internal reliability. After controlling for other variables, neither pet ownership nor pet attachment added significantly to explained variance in health and well-being.Conclusions: The health of elderly people is related to their health habits and social supports but not to their ownership of, or attachment to, a companion animal.
Keywords: human-animal bond
pets
health
social support
emotional bonds
Description: The original publication can be found at www.springerlink.com
DOI: 10.1080/10705500802365532
Published version: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10705500802365532
Appears in Collections:Aurora harvest
Psychiatry publications

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