Pet ownership and survival of European older adults

With pet ownership on the rise, millions of individuals are exposed to this environmental exposure. Although the subject has been largely studied, more evidence is needed to clarify the potential association of pet ownership with human health. The aim of this research is to study the potential association of pet exposure (any pet, cat, dog, bird, fish) with all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality of older ( ≥ 50 years) European residents. To this end, a total of 23,274 participants from the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were employed (median follow-up 119 months). All-cause mortality (5163 events), as well as cardiovascular (CVD) (1832 events), and cancer mortality (1346 events) were examined using Cox Proportional Hazards models for their relation with pet exposure at baseline. Stratified analyses were also performed by gender and for single or multi-person households. No significant association was observed for any of the pets with all-cause mortality on the whole sample and the fully adjusted models. In stratified analyses, bird exposure significantly increased the risk of all-cause mortality in women [Hazard Ratio ( HR ) = 1.23 ; 95% CI 1.04–1.44] as well as women living alone ( HR = 1.38 ; 95% CI 1.02–1.85). Cause-specific models revealed an increased risk of death for women bird owners for causes other than cancer and CVD ( HR = 1.40 ; 95% CI 1.05–1.99). In conclusion, bird ownership may be negatively associated with survival of older women in Europe.