Preliminary associations between pet ownership and mental health in youth with diabetes

TL;DR

This study explores if pet ownership affects mental health and diabetes outcomes in youth with diabetes, finding no significant mental health benefits but a possible link to geographic diabetes prevalence.

Contribution

The study is one of the first to examine geographic diabetes prevalence in relation to pet ownership among diabetic youth.

Findings

No significant association found between pet ownership and mental health outcomes in diabetic youth.

Preliminary evidence suggests a potential link between pet ownership and lower geographic diabetes prevalence.

A1C levels were explored but not conclusively linked to pet ownership due to small sample size.

Abstract

Youth with diabetes are at a higher risk for mental health challenges. Despite this awareness, there is much to learn how factors of a child’s environment, such as pet ownership, may promote better diabetes-related health outcomes. This study assessed if pet ownership in diabetic youth was associated with anxiety/depression, parental stress, and A1C, as well as if geographic prevalence of diabetes differed by pet ownership status.

Data were obtained from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, including participants with pet ownership data (n = 9,802). Primary analyses were conducted with a subsample of youth with diabetes (n = 80).

There were no statistically significant relationships between pet ownership and anxiety/depression or parental stress. A1C levels among pet owners and non pet owners were explored (n = 10). In the full sample (n = 9,802), there was a significant difference between pet owners and non-pet owners on geographical diabetes prevalence where pet owners were more likely to live in communities with lower rates of diabetes.

Pet ownership was not associated with mental health in families with diabetes. Preliminary analyses indicated the potential for an association between A1C and pet ownership as well as geographic prevalence of diabetes and living with a pet.