Turns out that having a dog or cat helps the medicine go down in a more delightful way than that sugar of Mary Poppins fame.
Having pets is helpful for women living with HIV/AIDS and managing their chronic illness, according to a new study from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.
“We think this finding about pets can apply to women managing other chronic illnesses,” said Allison R. Webel, nursing instructor and lead researcher.
Webel wanted to understand how women manage their HIV/AIDS and remain compliant with their medications, follow doctors’ orders and live healthy lifestyles.
She conducted 12 focus groups with 48 women to find out what they did to stay healthy. The women had an average age of 42, about 90 percent had children, and more than half were single.
During the focus groups, six predominant social roles emerged that helped and hindered women in managing their illness: (1) pet owner, (2) mother/grandmother, (3) faith believer, (4) advocate, (5) stigmatized patient, and (6) employee. All roles had a positive impact except stigmatized patient, which prevented women from revealing their illness and seeking out appropriate supports.
“Pets—primarily dogs—gave these women a sense of support and pleasure,” Webel said.
When discussing the effect their pets have on their lives, the women explained the soothing effects. A cat owner said, “She’s going to be right there when I’m hurting.” A dog person said, “Dogs know when you’re in a bad mood…she knows that I’m sick, and everywhere I go, she goes. She wants to protect me.”
The human and animal bond in healing and therapy is being more fully recognized, with more animals visiting nursing homes to connect to people with dementia or visiting hospitals to interact with children enduring long hospital stays.
For more information: “The Relationship Between Social Roles and Self-Management Behavior in Women Living with HIV/AIDS,” appears in the online journal Women’s Health Issues.
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