Dog and Cat Ownership Predicts Adolescents' Mental Well-Being: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study.

Kaori Endo,Kazutaka Mogi,Miho Nagasawa,Satoshi Usami,Atsushi Nishida,Mariko Hiraiwa-Hasegawa,Itsuka Kamimura,Miharu Nakanishi,Syudo Yamasaki,Takefumi Kikusui,Kiyoto Kasai,Shuntaro Ando,Junko Ishihara

doi:10.3390/ijerph17030884

Abstract

A potential association between pet ownership and mental well-being is suggested, but there is a shortage of high-quality longitudinal studies that consider probable differences among different species. We aimed to examine whether ownership of the most popular pets (dogs and cats) would predict mental well-being. The Tokyo Teen Cohort (TTC), a prospective population-based birth cohort study, had dog and cat ownership data at age 10 and mental well-being score at ages 10 and 12 from 2584 adolescents. Linear regression analysis with adjusting for covariates showed that dog ownership had a positive effect on mental well-being compared to no dog ownership, however, cat ownership had a negative effect compared to no cat ownership. Two-factor mixed-design analysis of variance showed that dog ownership predicted maintained mental well-being, while cat ownership predicted progressing decline of mental well-being. Thus, dog and cat ownership may have different effects on adolescents’ mental well-being, implying that the underlying mechanisms that are activated by these types of ownership may differ.

Highlights

Adolescence is the phase of life between late childhood and adulthood [1]
Dog ownership at age 10 was associated with increased well-being at age 12 compared to no dog ownership, and cat ownership at age 10 was associated with decreased well-being at age 12 compared to no dog ownership
Our results suggested that the effect of dog and cat ownership on adolescent well-being may have different underlying mechanisms

Summary

Introduction

Adolescence is the phase of life between late childhood and adulthood [1]. It is a unique developmental stage during which an individual is constantly being shaped and influenced by their environment [2]. The effects of the environment are sometimes irreversible on mental and emotional development as well as physical maturation [3,4]. Positive youth development can lead to a healthy and successful adulthood [5]. Providing an environment that supports positive youth development is beneficial for adolescents, and for individuals of all ages [6]. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 884; doi:10.3390/ijerph17030884 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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