Neighborhood Engagement, Dogs, and Life Satisfaction in Older Adulthood

Objectives This study examined the relationships between dog ownership, dog walking, and the emotional bond with a dog to neighborhood engagement and life satisfaction among those over age 50. Method Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 476), two path analysis models were conducted t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of applied gerontology Vol. 40; no. 12; pp. 1706 - 1714
Main Authors Curl, Angela L., Bibbo, Jessica, Johnson, Rebecca A.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2021
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Aged
Animals
Dogs
Humans
Life satisfaction
Neighborhoods
Older people
Ownership
Personal Satisfaction
Residence Characteristics
Retirement
Social interaction
Walking
engagement
life satisfaction
neighborhood
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Summary:Objectives This study examined the relationships between dog ownership, dog walking, and the emotional bond with a dog to neighborhood engagement and life satisfaction among those over age 50. Method Using data from the Health and Retirement Study (N = 476), two path analysis models were conducted to test the research hypotheses. Results Findings indicated that dog ownership did not have a direct or indirect relationship on life satisfaction. However, time spent in dog walking was associated with frequency of social interactions, which itself had a positive association with life satisfaction. The bond with a dog was not directly associated with life satisfaction but was associated with dog walking. Discussion Dog walking is a promising strategy for simultaneously promoting better health and social engagement, and these factors in turn can promote greater life satisfaction of older adults.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:0733-4648
1552-4523
DOI:10.1177/0733464820953725