It is official – dogs are good for older people’s health, according to new data from the State’s most comprehensive long-term study on ageing.
The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, Tilda, based in Trinity College, found regular dog walking not only improves mobility and reduces falls in older adults – but it also reduces the fear of falls in older people.
Tilda, a large-scale, nationally representative study running since 2009, released a new study on Monday that showed 30 per cent of people in Ireland aged 70 plus fall each year, and one in eight present to an emergency department with a fall.
The new study showed significant benefits of regular dog walking for older adults. Research, published in the Journals of Gerontology, found that regular dog walking, defined as at least four times per week, is associated with improved mobility, reduced fear of falling and a lower likelihood of unexplained falls.
Ireland’s 11 billionaires saw their wealth grow by a third to €50bn in 2024
Pancreatic cancer: ‘I just can’t explain what it felt like hearing those words’
Remote working in Ireland: People ‘are being pushed back to the office against their will’
‘The phone would ring and it would be Mike Scott from the Waterboys or Bono from U2. Everyone wanted to talk to my father’
Up to now, little research had looked at the suggestion that dog walking may protect against falls and mobility problems later in life.
Falls are the most frequent reason older people are admitted to hospital and the most common cause of accidental death in later life. Falls are strongly associated with fractures including hip fractures, subsequent loss of independence, increased healthcare use, admission to nursing home and earlier mortality.
With increased longevity, the number of older people presenting with falls is expected to increase considerably over the coming decades.
The study emphasised the potential role of dog walking in promoting physical activity and social interaction, both of which are critical for maintaining independence in later life.
Prof Robert Briggs, consultant geriatrician, St James’s Hospital and Trinity College, and co-author of the study said the benefits of dog walking were not just physical. ”While this may be partly due to increased physical activity, it is also likely that increased social interaction, companionship and purpose derived from having a dog also plays an important role,” he said.
Tilda’s ongoing work, can be seen at tilda.ie.
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
