Japan study suggests having a dog delays onset of disability in old age

By Barrier Free Japan

February 26 2022

JAPAN – A recently published study conducted in Japan indicates that dog ownership appears to protect against disability among older Japanese adults.

The study published in the ‘PLOS ONE’ journal on February 23, examined the association between dog and cat ownership, the onset of disability and all-cause mortality in an older population.

The study suggests that because dog and cat owners take more regular exercise and have closer social relationships than non-owners, the onset of disability is delayed as older adults who were currently dog owners had a significantly lower odds ratio of onset of disability.