A Scoping Review of the Risks Posed by Companion Animals to Older Adults

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorZoanetti, J.
dc.contributor.authorYoung, J.
dc.contributor.authorNielsen, T.D.
dc.date.issued2024
dc.descriptionPublished online: 23 May 2024.
dc.description.abstractResearch has reported on positive aspects of pet guardianship to reduce physical and mental health issues in older adults (over the age of 65 years). There is, however, a need to be cognizant of the risks that pertain to companion animal guardianship. The aim of this scoping review was to systematically identify literature regarding the risks that companion animal guardianship may pose to older adults to facilitate greater understanding and inclusion of pets in the lives of older adults. Using online databases (Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar), systematic searches were conducted. From 11,868 articles, 26 were included in the final data synthesis. The type of risk reported was categorized into three groups (zoonotic, physical, and psychological), with the worst outcomes reported being fatal, potentially fatal, and severe, respectively. Very little literature for pet species other than dogs and cats were identified. Whilst further research is required to fully quantify the risks that arise from the cohabitation of pets and older adults, there is enough evidence for older adults to be safely engaging with pets and hence continue to benefit from the human–animal bond.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityJoshua Zoanetti, Janette Young, and Torben Dahl Nielsen
dc.identifier.citationAnthrozoos, 2024; 37(5):1015-1031
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/08927936.2024.2351278
dc.identifier.issn0892-7936
dc.identifier.issn1753-0377
dc.identifier.orcidZoanetti, J. [0000-0001-5013-9703]
dc.identifier.orcidNielsen, T.D. [0000-0002-8941-7376]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/143043
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherRoutledge (Taylor & Francis Group)
dc.rights© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
dc.source.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2024.2351278
dc.subjectAged; companion animals; human–animal interaction; older adults; pet guardianship; risk
dc.titleA Scoping Review of the Risks Posed by Companion Animals to Older Adults
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
hdl_143043.pdf
Size:
1.81 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Published version
Download

Collections

Research Outputs