Human–Animal Interaction in the Aging Boom

Handbook on Animal-Assisted Therapy: Foundations and Guidelines for Animal-Assisted Interventions, Fourth Edition

Volumn , Issue , 2015, Pages 249-260

  Johnson, Rebecca ^a   Bibbo, Jessica ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI   (United States)

Author keywords

Aging; Companion animal; Emotion; Human animal interaction; Physiology; Psychology

Indexed keywords

EID: 85096285282     PISSN: None     EISSN: None     Source Type: Book    
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-801292-5.00018-3     Document Type: Chapter

References (66)

1. K. Allen, J. Blascovich and W. Mendes (2002) Cardiovascular reactivity and the presence of pets, friends and spouses: the truth about cats and dogs. Psychosomatic Medicine 64 727-739.
2. American Veterinary Medical Association (2007) U.S. pet ownership & demographics sourcebook. Schaumburg, IL: American Veterinary Medical Association
3. American Veterinary Medical Association (2012) U.S. pet ownership & demographics sourcebook. Schaumburg, IL: American Veterinary Medical Association
4. K. Ball, A. Timperio, B. Giles-Corti, R. Roberts and D. Crawford (2007) Personal, social and environmental determinants of educational inequalities in walking: a multilevel study. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 61 108-114.
5. M.R. Banks and W.A. Banks (2002) The effects of animal-assisted therapy on loneliness in an elderly population in long-term care facilities. Journal of Gerontology 57 428-432.
6. M.R. Banks and W.A. Banks (2005) The effects of group and individual animal-assisted therapy on loneliness in residents of long-term care facilities. Anthrozoös 18 396-408.
7. M.R. Banks, L.M. Willoughby and W.A. Banks (2008) Animal-assisted therapy and loneliness in nursing homes: use of robotic versus living dogs. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association 9 173-177.
8. M. Baun, N. Bergstrom, N. Langston and L. Thoma (1984) Physiological effects of human/companion animal bonding. Nursing Research 33 126-129.
9. P.L. Bernstein, E. Friedmann and Malaspina (2000) Animal-assisted therapy enhances resident social interaction and initiation in long-term care facilities. Anthrozoös 13 213-224.
10. J. Bibbo, A.L. Curl and R.A. Johnson (November 2014) Health benefits of dog walking for older adults. Washington, D.C: Presented at the Gerontological Society of America’s Scientific Meeting
11. C.M. Brickel (1984) Depression in the nursing home: A pilot study using pet-facilitated psychotherapy. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Center to Study Human-Animal Relationships and Environments 407–415
12. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013) Reptiles, amphibians, and salmonella. http://www.cdc.gov/features/salmonellafrogturtle Retrieved from
13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (2001) Draft guideline for environmental infection control in healthcare facilities. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/envior/env_guide_draft.pdf Retrieved from
14. A. Chih, R.A. Johnson, C. McKenney and S. McCune (2008) Exercise motivation and fitness through dog walking among older adults. Columbia, MO: Presented at University of Missouri Phi Zeta Veterinary Medical Honor Society Research Day
15. A. Chur-Hansen, H.R. Winefield and M. Beckwith (2007) Reasons given by elderly men and women for not owning a pet, and the implications for clinical practice and research. Journal of Health Psychology 13 988-995.
16. M. Churchill, J. Safaoui, B.W. McCabe and M.M. Baun (1999) Using a therapy dog to alleviate the agitation and desocialization of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing 37 16-22.
17. P. Crowley-Robinson and J.K. Blackshaw (1998) Nursing home staffs’ empathy for a missing therapy dog, their attitudes to animal-assisted therapy programs and suitable dog breeds. Anthrozoös 11 101-104.
18. H.E. Cutt, B. Giles-Corti, M. Knuiman, A. Timperio and F. Bull (2008) Understanding dog owners’ increased levels of physical activity: results from RESIDE. American Journal of Public Health 98 66-69.
19. D. Dembicki and J. Anderson (1996) Pet ownership may be a factor in improved health of the elderly. Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly 15 15-31.
20. N.E. Edwards and A.M. Beck (2002) Animal-assisted therapy and nutrition in Alzheimer’s disease. Western Journal of Nursing Research 24 697-712.
21. M.-J. Enders-Slegers (2000) The meaning of companion animals: qualitative analysis of the life histories of elderly cat and dog owners. A.L. Podberscek, E.S. Paul, J.A. Serpell (Eds) Companion animals & us: Exploring the relationships between people and pets Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 237-256.
22. K.M. Fick (1993) The influence of an animal on social interactions of nursing home residents in a group setting. American Journal of Occupational Therapy 47 529-534.
23. E. Friedmann, E. Galik, S.A. Thomas, P.S. Hall, S.Y. Chung and S. McCune (2014) Evaluation of a pet-assisted living intervention for improving functional status in assisted living residents with mild to moderate cognitive impairment: a pilot study. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias 1-14.
24. C.L. Fritz, T.B. Farver, P.H. Kass and L.A. Hart (1995) Association with companion animals and the expression of noncognitive symptoms in Alzheimer’s patients. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 183 459-463.
25. G.A. Greendale, D. Kritz-Silverstein, T. Seeman and E. Barrett-Connor (2000) Higher basal cortisol predicts verbal memory loss in postmenopausal women: Rancho Bernardo Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 48 1655-1658.
26. K.A. Gretebeck, K. Radius, D.R. Black, R.J. Gretebeck, R. Ziemba and L.T. Glickman (2013) Dog ownership, functional ability, and walking in community-dwelling older adults. Journal of Physical Activity 10 646-655.
27. S.A. Ham and J. Epping (2006) Dog walking and physical activity in the United States. Preventing Chronic Disease 3 1-7.
28. B. Headey and M.M. Grabka (2007) Pets and human health in Germany and Australia: national longitudinal results. Social Indicators Research 80 297-311.
29. B. Headey, M.M. Grabka, J. Kelley, P. Reddy and Y.P. Tseng (2002) Pet ownership is good for your health and saves public expenditure too: Australian and German longitudinal evidence. Australian Social Monitor 5 93-99.
30. Hertstein, V. (1995). The relation between pet ownership and physical, psychological, and functional health disorders among community-based elderly residents. New York: Columbia University Teachers College, unpublished doctoral dissertation.
31. K.D. Hoerster, J.A. Mayer, J.F. Sallis, N. Pizzi, S. Talley, L.C. Pichon, et al. (2011) Dog walking: its association with physical activity guideline adherence and its correlates. Preventive medicine 52 33-38.
32. J. Jessen, F. Cardiello and M. Baun (1996) Avian companionship in alleviation of depression, loneliness, and low morale of older adults in skilled rehabilitation units. Psychological Reports 78 339-348.
33. Johnson, R. A., McCune, S., & Chih, A. (2008). Dog walking, physical activity and walking speed among older adults. Columbia, MO: University of Missouri, unpublished manuscript.
34. R.A. Johnson and R.L. Meadows (2002) Older Latinos, pets and health. Western Journal of Nursing Research 24 609-620.
35. R.A. Johnson, J.S. Odendaal and R.L. Meadows (2002) Animal-assisted interventions research: issues and answers. Western Journal of Nursing Research 24 422-440.
36. L. Kaiser, L.J. Spence, L. McGavin, L. Struble and L. Keilman (2002) A dog and a “happy person” visit nursing home residents. Western Journal of Nursing Research 24 671-683.
37. L.G. Kongable, K.C. Buckwalter and J.M. Stolley (1989) The effects of pet therapy on the social behavior of institutionalized Alzheimer’s clients. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing 3 191-198.
38. D. Lago, M. Delaney, M. Miller and C. Grill (1989) Companion animals, attitudes toward pets, and health outcomes among the elderly: a long-term follow-up. Anthrozoös 3 25-34.
39. M.C. Le Roux and R. Kemp (2009) Effect of a companion dog on depression and anxiety levels of elderly residents in a long-term care facility. Psychogeriatrics 9 23-26.
40. S.L. Lefebvre, G.C. Golab, E. Christensen, L. Castrodale, K. Aureden, A. Bialachowski, et al. (2008) Guidelines for animal-assisted interventions in health care facilities. American Journal of Infection Control 36 78-84.
41. P. Lutwack-Bloom, R. Wijewickrama and B. Smith (2005) Effects of pets versus people visits with nursing home residents. Journal of Gerontological Social Work 44 137-159.
42. T. Majić, H. Gutzmann, A. Heinz, U.E. Lang and M.A. Rapp (2013) Animal-assisted therapy and agitation and depression in nursing home residents with dementia: a matched case-control trial. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 21 1052-1059.
43. J. McNicholas and G.M. Collis (2000) Dogs as catalysts for social interactions: robustness of the effect. British Journal of Psychology 91 61-70.
44. A. Middelweerd, J. Mollee, N. van der Wal, J. Brug and S. te Velde (2014) Apps to promote physical activity among adults: a review and content analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 11 97.
45. E. Mossello, A. Ridolfi, A.M. Mello, G. Lorenzini, F. Mugnai, C. Piccini, et al. (2011) Animal-assisted activity and emotional status of patients with Alzheimer’s disease in day care. International Psychogeriatrics 23 899-905.
46. M. Motooka, H. Koike, T. Yokoyama and N. Kennedy (2006) Effect of dog-walking on autonomic nervous activity in senior citizens. Medical Journal of Australia 184 60-63.
47. J.S.J. Odendaal (2000) Animal-assisted therapy: medicine or magic? Journal of Psychosomatic Research 49 275-280.
48. M. Orlandi, K. Trangeled, A. Mambrini, M. Tagliani, A. Ferrarini, L. Zanetti, et al. (2007) Pet therapy effects on oncological day hospital patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Anticancer Research 27 4301-4304.
49. M.G. Ory and E.L. Goldberg (1983) Pet possession and well-being in elderly women. Research on Aging 5 389-409.
50. P.O. Peretti (1990) Elderly-animal friendship bonds. Social Behavior and Personality 18 151-156.
51. P. Raina, D. Waltner-Toews, B. Bonnett, C. Woodward and T. Abernathy (1999) Influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people: an analysis of a one-year longitudinal study. Journal of the American Geriatric Society 47 323-329.
52. E.A. Richards, M.H. McDonough, N.E. Edwards, R.M. Lyle and P.J. Troped (2013) Psychosocial and environmental factors associated with dog-walking. International Journal of Health Promotion and Education 51 198-211.
53. N.E. Richeson (2003) Effects of animal-assisted therapy on agitated behaviors and social interactions of older adults with dementia. American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias 18 353-358.
54. J. Rogers, L.A. Hart and R.P. Boltz (1993) The role of pet dogs in casual conversations of elderly adults. The Journal of Social Psychology 133 265-277.
55. K. Ruckdeschel and K. Van Haitsma (2001) The impact of live-in animals and plants on nursing home residents: a pilot longitudinal investigation. Alzheimer’s Care Quarterly 2 17-27.
56. T. Seeman, B. Singer, J. Rowe, R. Horwitz and B.S. McEwen (1997) The price of adaptation: allostatic load and its health consequences: the MacArthur studies of successful aging. Archives of Internal Medicine 157 2259-2268.
57. A. Shibata, K. Oka, S. Inoue, H. Christian, Y. Kitabatake and T. Shimomitsu (2012) Physical activity of Japanese older adults who own and walk dogs. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 43 429-433.
58. J. Siegel (1990) Stressful life events and use of physician services among the elderly: the moderating role of pet ownership. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 58 1081-1086.
59. I.H. Stanley, Y. Conwell, C. Bowen and K.A. Van Orden (2014) Pet ownership may attenuate loneliness among older adult primary care patients who live alone. Aging & Mental Health 18 394-399.
60. R. Thorpe, E.M. Simonsick, J.S. Brach, H. Ayonayon, S. Satterfield, T.B. Harris, et al. (2006) Dog ownership, walking behavior, and maintained mobility in late life. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 54 1419-1424.
61. United States Census Bureau (2014) An aging nation: The older population in the United States. http://www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/p25-1140.pdf (2014) Retrieved from:
62. R.L. Utz (2014) Walking the dog: The effect of pet ownership on human health and health behaviors. Social Indicators Research 116 327-339.
63. L.J. Wood, B. Giles-Corti, M.K. Bulsara and D.A. Bosch (2007) More than a furry companion: the ripple effect of companion animals on neighborhood interactions and sense of community. Society and Animals 15 43-56.
64. World Health Organization (2012) Dementia: A public health priority. http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/75263/1/9789241564458_eng.pdf?ua=1 (2014) Retrieved from:
65. K.R. Yabroff, R.P. Troiano and D. Berrigan (2008) Walking the dog: Is pet ownership associated with physical activity in California? Journal of Physical Activity & Health 5 216-228.
66. H.D. Yaglom, G.K.M. Carlisle, J.L. Bibbo, S.M. Holt, R.A. Johnson and C.A. McKenney (2012) Missouri moving out in front: Human-animal interactions for people in transition. Columbia, MO: Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction