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Principal Investigator
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Rationale
Although pet caretaking has been associated with a reduction in modifiable risk factors thought to impact dementia, the association between pet caretaking on dementia outcomes has not been explored. We aim to clarify the association of pet caretaking with modifiable lifestyle factors thought to impact dementia and examine the onset and progression of dementia over time by studying over 5,000 older American adults followed through a nationally representative longitudinal probability cohort study, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), who responded to a question on pet caretaking over a 14-year time period (2002-2016).
Objective
To compare pet caretakers’ and non-caretakers’ lifestyle risk factors for dementia including cerebrovascular/cardiovascular risk factors (physical inactivity, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular/cerebrovascular disease) and psychosocial risk factors (loneliness/social engagement, depression), and to examine the association between pet caretaking and conversion of baseline normal cognition to cognitive impairment or conversion of baseline cognitive impairment to dementia, controlling for confounding variables.
Hypothesis
The hypotheses are that pet caretaking will be associated with fewer cerebrovascular/cardiovascular risk factors and psychosocial risk factors than non-pet caretaking, and pet caretaking will be associated with lower risk of decline in cognitive function of baseline normal cognition to cognitive impairment or conversion of baseline cognitive impairment to dementia after controlling for confounding variables.
Design
The HRS is a longitudinal observational cohort study based on a national probability sample of older US adults. Data will be collected longitudinally for all outcomes. Study participants will include those who reported taking care of a pet and those who reported not taking care of pets (years 2002through 2016).
Results
This study provides evidence for the associations between pet caretaking with younger age, race (White), and more physical activity in older adults. However, pet caretakers had higher odds of diabetes and history of smoking, and there was no link with incident MCI or dementia. More research is warranted to determine if physically active older adults acquire pets, if pet caretaking improves physical activity, if pets are the reason why older adults with diabetes decide to own pets, and if pets affect diabetes or other health outcomes.
Expected Results
1) Pet caretaking will be associated with fewer cerebrovascular/ cardiovascular risk factors and psychosocial risk factors than non-pet caretaking
2) Pet caretaking will be associated with lower risk of decline in cognitive function of baseline normal cognition to cognitive impairment or conversion of baseline cognitive impairment to dementia after controlling for confounding variables.
