Pets as Moderators of the Relationship of Psychological Factors with Physical and Cognitive Function in Community-Residing Older Adults
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Koodaly, Lincy
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Abstract Title: Pets as Moderators of the Relationship of Psychological Factors with Physical and Cognitive Function in Community-Residing Older Adults Background: The growth of the older adult population calls for innovative and cost-effective ways of promoting their physical, psychological, and cognitive health. Human–animal interaction, including pet ownership, is related to positive aspects of human health. Purpose: This study examined the moderating role of pets in the relationships of psychological status (mental wellbeing, happiness, anxiety, depression) with physical and cognitive function in community-residing older adults and moderation of these relationships by pet attachment, pet influence and the pet species. Methods: A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of older adult participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (N=596, pet owners N=178). Physical function outcomes were perceived physical wellbeing (SF-12 PCS), usual and rapid gait speeds, and physical performance (HABCPPB). Cognitive function outcomes were memory (California Verbal Learning Test), attention (Trail Making Test A), and executive function (Trail Making Test B, B- A). Results: In regression analyses, controlling for age, gender, and comorbidities, worse psychological status was related to poorer physical and cognitive function. Anxiety was negatively related to rapid gait speed among pet owners and positively related among non- owners (p < 0.05). The negative relationship between depression and short-term memory and positive relationship between physical and mental wellbeing were weaker for cat owners than non-owners (p<0.05). Pet attachment and pet influence moderated the relationships of physical wellbeing to mental wellbeing and anxiety (p<0.05) among pet owners. Pet influence also moderated the relationship between anxiety and usual gait speed (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Psychological status was associated with physical and cognitive function in community-residing older adults. Pet ownership moderated one relationship between psychological status and physical function. and none with cognitive function. Pet attachment and negative pet influence moderated the relationships of perceptions of mental wellbeing with perceptions of physical wellbeing and anxiety but not with objective measures of cognitive functioning, suggesting that greater attachment and influence buffer the relationship of perceptions of poor mental function with perceptions of poor physical wellbeing. Cat ownership moderated the relationship of psychological status with cognitive but not physical function. This study suggests a need for longitudinal studies to examine the role of pets in older adults’ wellbeing.