Dog ownership, physical activity, loneliness and mental health: a comparison of older adult and younger adult companion animal owners.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aim

Dog ownership has been suggested as an intervention to increase physical activity and improve mental health, but few studies have investigated the relationships between dog ownership, physical activity, and mental health outcomes together. This study aimed to (1) investigate whether dog ownership, CA-related physical activity, and non-CA-related physical activity were explanatory variables for the relationships between CA ownership, depression, and anxiety via loneliness and (2) examine whether the relationships between these variables differed for older adult CA owners compared to younger adult CA owners.

Method

Participants were Australian CA owners from the community (N = 588, 76.3% female) aged 18-84 years (M = 55.34, SD = 14.90). A cross-sectional des

SUBMITTER: Zablan K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11529494 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature