Abstract Details

Title Companion Animals and Cognitive Health; A Population-Based Study

Topic Aging, Dementia, and Behavioral Neurology

Presentation(s) P1 - Poster Session 1 (8:00 AM-9:00 AM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 7-004

Objective To examine associations between pet ownership and long-term cognitive outcomes among US adults.

Background Despite increasing evidence in support of potential health benefits of pet ownership, relationships between pet ownership and long-term cognitive health have been insufficiently examined.

Design/Methods We utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative cohort of US adults age 50+. Pet ownership and its duration were assessed in the 2012 wave. Cognitive assessments from 2010 to 2016 were used to create a composite score derived from immediate and delayed 10-noun free recall test, serial seven subtraction test, and a backwards count test (score range: 0-27). Participants with impaired cognitive function, as determined by HRS algorithms at baseline (2010), were excluded. We fitted mixed effects models with a random intercept to estimate the longitudinal associations between pet ownership and cognitive function.

Results Of the 1,369 HRS participants with normal cognition at baseline, 53% owned pets. At baseline, pet owners had lower prevalence of hypertension (44.0% vs 49.2%) but higher prevalence of depression (23.8% vs 14.0%) compared with non-pet owners. Higher socioeconomic status was also apparent among pet owners compared to non-pet owners. Over six years, cognitive score decreased by 0.21 points among non-pet owners, in comparison to pet owners (beta=0.21, p=0.08). The magnitude of this association was stronger among those who owned pets for more than five years (beta=1.2, p=0.03). The cognitive benefits associated with longer pet ownership were more prominent for Black adults, college-educated adults, and men.

Conclusions Long-term pet ownership could mitigate cognitive decline in older adults. Findings of this study provide a fundamental step to increase our understanding of how sustained relationships with companion animals could contribute to cognitive health.

Authors/Disclosures
Monica Shieu, PhD PRESENTER	Dr. Shieu has nothing to disclose.
	No disclosure on file
Galit L. Dunietz	No disclosure on file
Tiffany Braley, MD (University of Michigan Medical Center)	Dr. Braley has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Bluestar BioAdvisors. The institution of Dr. Braley has received research support from NIH. The institution of Dr. Braley has received research support from PCORI. The institution of Dr. Braley has received research support from National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

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