OLDER ADULT PET OWNERSHIP HISTORY, MARITAL STATUS, AND HEALTH OUTCOMES: THE WISCONSIN LONGITUDINAL STUDY (WLS)

We explore the association of PO and marital status to changes in health during aging. This secondary analysis uses 1992, 2004, and 2011 data from healthy participants (N=2,319) in the WLS. Health outcomes (symptoms, illnesses, days in bed due to illness, depression, and cognition) and demographic/ health variables (age, marital status, sex, smoking, BMI, engagement with friends/relatives). PO (ever owned a pet/dog/cat) was assessed in 2011. In...