Surge in pet ownership causing vaccine shortages

2021 ◽  
Vol 189 (8) ◽  
pp. 305-305
Keyword(s):  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Vaccine Shortages

Pet Attachment and the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Jane Douglas ◽  
Mun Yee Kwan ◽  
Kathryn H. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Risk ◽  
Attachment Anxiety ◽  
Interpersonal Theory ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Thwarted Belongingness ◽  
Perceived Burdensomeness ◽  
Attachment Avoidance ◽  
Interpersonal Theory Of Suicide ◽  
Pet Attachment ◽  
The Relationship

Objective: Pet ownership is often assumed to have mental health benefits, but the effect of pets on suicide risk has a scant literature. Method: Using the interpersonal theory of suicide, we examined the relationships between perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, overall attachment to one’s pet (quality of the relationship), pet attachment avoidance (distrustful of the relationship) or anxiety (afraid of abandonment), and suicide risk. Three hypotheses were investigated: 1) higher levels of attachment would be associated with lower suicide risk via lower levels of thwarted belongingness/perceived burdensomeness, 2) lower levels of pet attachment would be associated with higher levels of suicide risk via attachment avoidance/attachment anxiety, and 3) attachment avoidance/anxiety would be associated with higher suicide risk via thwarted belongingness/perceived burdensomeness. Undergraduates (N = 187) completed surveys and indirect effect analyses were utilized. Results: Higher overall attachment was associated with decreased attachment anxiety, which was associated with lower suicide risk. Attachment anxiety was correlated with increased suicide risk. Overall attachment, attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were not found to indirectly affect suicide risk. Conclusions: Findings suggest that pet ownership may provide both protective and deleterious effects in a nonclinical sample.

Pet ownership in the unsheltered homeless population in Los Angeles

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Henwood ◽  
Eldin Dzubur ◽  
Harmony Rhoades ◽  
Patricia St. Clair ◽  
Robynn Cox
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Homeless Population ◽  
Pet Ownership

scholarly journals Prenatal and Perinatal Environmental Influences Shaping the Neonatal Immune System: A Focus on Asthma and Allergy Origins

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3962
Author(s):  
Azahara María García-Serna ◽  
Elena Martín-Orozco ◽  
Trinidad Hernández-Caselles ◽  
Eva Morales
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Environmental Influences ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
System A ◽  
Neonatal Immune System ◽  
Chemical Factors ◽  
Asthma And Allergy

It is suggested that programming of the immune system starts before birth and is shaped by environmental influences acting during critical windows of susceptibility for human development. Prenatal and perinatal exposure to physiological, biological, physical, or chemical factors can trigger permanent, irreversible changes to the developing immune system, which may be reflected in cord blood of neonates. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the evidence on the role of the prenatal and perinatal environment, including season of birth, mode of delivery, exposure to common allergens, a farming environment, pet ownership, and exposure to tobacco smoking and pollutants, in shaping the immune cell populations and cytokines at birth in humans. We also discuss how reported disruptions in the immune system at birth might contribute to the development of asthma and related allergic manifestations later in life.

scholarly journals Association between pet ownership and sleep in the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lieve T. van Egmond ◽  
Olga E. Titova ◽  
Eva Lindberg ◽  
Tove Fall ◽  
Christian Benedict
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Poor Sleep Quality ◽  
Short Sleep Duration ◽  
Dog Walking ◽  
Dog Ownership ◽  
Using Data

AbstractPreliminary findings suggest that pets may impact the owner’s sleep. By using data from the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bIoimage Study (SCAPIS) cohort, we aimed to investigate the association of pet ownership with the following self-reported sleep outcomes in 3788 to 4574 participants: (i) achieving the recommended daily sleep duration for adults (i.e., at least 7 h per day); (ii) sleep quality as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (a score of > 5 indicating poor sleep quality); and (iii) difficulty falling or staying asleep. Sleep metrics were not associated with pet ownership, dog ownership, and dog walking when controlling the logistic regression for possible confounders (e.g., shift work, lack of social interaction, and chronic stress). In contrast, cat ownership was associated with a higher odds ratio of failing to achieve the recommended duration of 7 h of sleep per day (adjusted odds ratio [95% CI]:1.18 [1.02, 1.37] versus non-cat owners). Our findings suggest that certain pet groups might have a more significant impact on the owner’s sleep than others. As the observed association between cat ownership and short sleep duration might be a chance finding, this observation should be seen as hypothesis-generating only.

scholarly journals Untapped research opportunities in China: promising future avenues and potential concerns for aging companion animals

GeroScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica M. Hoffman ◽  
Shanshan Song ◽  
Katharina Brugger ◽  
Teresa G. Valencak
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Companion Animal ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Aging Research ◽  
Agricultural Animal ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Laboratory Models

AbstractCompanion animals have recently been proposed as ideal translational models of human aging due to their shared susceptibility for certain diseases, similar environments, and sophisticated veterinary medicine diagnostics, all of which are not possible in rodent laboratory models. Here, we introduce and propose the study of companion animals in China as a largely untapped resource in academic and veterinary aging research. Pet ownership rates along with economic gains in the pet industry have skyrocketed over the last decade in China. Yet, the majority of research institutions still focus on agricultural animal research, not companion animals. In this perspective, we compare available pet ownership rates between the USA, the European Union, and China before focusing on the potential of companion animal aging research in China. In addition, we highlight some ethical considerations that must be addressed before large-scale companion animal aging research can be completed.

scholarly journals What Are the Benefits of Pet Ownership and Care Among People With Mild-to-Moderate Dementia? Findings From the IDEAL programme

2020 ◽  
pp. 073346482096261
Author(s):  
Carol Opdebeeck ◽  
Michael A. Katsaris ◽  
Anthony Martyr ◽  
Ruth A. Lamont ◽  
James A. Pickett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Pet Ownership ◽  
Active Life ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Moderate Dementia ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Person With Dementia ◽  
The Ideal

Pet ownership has been associated with positive outcomes in many populations, yet the associations with physical and psychological wellbeing in people with dementia remain unclear. The current study used baseline data from 1,542 people living at home with mild-to-moderate dementia from the Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) programme. Regression analyses investigated associations of pet ownership and pet care with self-reports of walking, loneliness, depression, and quality of life (QoL). After adjusting for covariates, having any pet was associated with higher likelihood of walking over 3 hr in the last week. Those with a dog and who were involved in its care were less likely to be lonely than those with no dog. Having any pet but no involvement in its care was associated with increased depression and decreased QoL compared with those without a pet. The key factor in the associations was involvement in the care of the pet by the person with dementia.

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