New research findings highlight benefits of human-animal interaction

3 new studies being presented at international conference offer positive results for human, animal and community well-being

2013-07-23

(Press-News.org) Chicago, US (July 22, 2013) --- Positive results from three new studies on human-animal interaction (HAI) are being presented today at the triennial conference of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations (IAHAIO) in Chicago, IL. The studies, supported by funding from Mars and the WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition (WALTHAM®), examined how pets impact our physical and emotional well-being and our social relationships and community connectedness. WALTHAM® is the state-of-the-art petcare science centre for Mars Petcare and provides the science and expertise underpinning leading Mars Petcare brands.

"We are seeing a number of critical advances in the field that are expanding our understanding of the benefits of human-animal interaction for human, animal, and community well-being. We are proud to support important research in this area and advance and share knowledge of the positive and lasting effects of pet ownership," said Dr. Sandra McCune, Scientific Leader - Human-Animal Interaction, at WALTHAM®.

As a lead sponsor in this year's conference and long-term supporter of HAI research, WALTHAM® sponsored several studies presented at the IAHAIO conference, including the following:

Interaction with Horses Boosts Adolescents' Social Skills –A study at Washington State University revealed that interacting with horses improved young adolescents' self-awareness, self-management, personal responsibility, decision-making, and relationship skills, and provided insights into the interplay between the children's emotional and physiological responses. The study consisted of 64 young teens, aged 10-14 years, who were assigned to either an experimental or control group. Those in the experimental group participated in an 11-week equine-facilitated learning program designed to increase social competence through a series of once-weekly, 90-minute sessions of individual, team, and group-focused equine-facilitated activities. Those in the control group were observed as a comparison, and were offered the learning programme at a later date. Levels of the stress hormone cortisol were collected prior to the programme and throughout the riding session. Using a self-report survey, the participants' levels of positive and negative emotion were measured immediately before mounting the horse, ten minutes later, and immediately after dismounting. At the end of the session, independent observers rated the teens' positive behaviours, such as following direction and accepting feedback, and negative behaviours, such as being argumentative or hyperactive. Those teens who demonstrated positive behaviour during the first riding session were more likely to see improvements in their social competence over the full 11-week programme period, and those who had produced increased levels of cortisol in response to riding were more likely to report negative emotion and behaviour, suggesting that strategies to regulate participants' physiological responses are needed to maximise the positive effects of equine-facilitated learning programmes. In addition to funding from Mars and WALTHAM®, this study was also supported by funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dog Interaction May Provide Help for People with Dementia – New research from the University of Maryland suggests that structured interaction with dogs could be an effective approach for preserving and even enhancing the mental health and physical function of people with dementia. The study involved 40 elderly adults with dementia residing in assisted-living facilities and found a reduction in depression following a pet-assisted living programme involving regular interaction with a dog. The study also indicated a trend for improved physical function as a result of the pet-assisted living programme. Participants in this study had two, 60-90 minute sessions a week for three months in which they were encouraged to interact with the visiting dog. A control group was encouraged to reminisce about their experiences with researchers and other residents in a way that involved both social skills and small motor skills.

Pet Ownership Improves Social Relationships and Connects Communities – According to new research by the University of Western Australia, pet ownership helps improve social networks and access to social support, with pet owners more likely to get to know new people and make new friends. This international study involved a telephone survey of a random sample of more than 2500 adults from Perth (Australia), San Diego, Portland and Nashville (US). Dog walking was found to be one of the top five ways to meet new people and, overall, more pet owners than non-pet owners got to know new people since moving to their current neighbourhood. Additionally, the research found that people who walk their dog achieved sufficient physical activity on more days a week than people who don't own a dog.

The involvement of Mars Petcare and WALTHAM® in IAHAIO is part of a broader commitment to human-animal interaction research, which also includes major sponsorship of the annual conference hosted by the International Society for Anthrozoology (ISAZ) that took place earlier this week on July 18-19 in Chicago and also featured research by WALTHAM®, their collaborators and grantees.

### For additional information about the research results, go to http://www.iahaio.org.

References: Associations Between Momentary Emotion, Basal Cortisol Production and Reactivity, and Observed Behavior in a Sample of Normal and At-Risk 5th Through 8th Grade Children During Their First Mounted Equine Facilitated Learning Activity. Patricia Pendry, Alexa Carr, Annelise Smith, Stephanie Roeter, (All: Washington State University, US) [Presented at the triennial conference of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations - "IAHAIO 2013: Humans and animals: The inevitable bond"]

Experimental Trial Demonstrates Positive Effects of Equine Facilitated Learning on Child Social Competence. Pendry. P & Roeter.S, Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin 2013, Vol 1, No 1, 1-19.

The Pet Assisted Living intervention for functional status in assisted living residents. Erika Friedmann (University of Maryland, US), Elizabeth Galik (University of Maryland, US), Sue A. Thomas (University of Maryland, US), P. Sue Hall (University of Maryland, US), Sandra McCune (WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition, UK) [Presented at the triennial conference of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations - "IAHAIO 2013: Humans and animals: The inevitable bond"]

Pounding the pavement: Does dog walking influence perceptions of safety? Hayley Christian (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Lisa Wood (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Andrea Nathan (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Karen Martin (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Stephen Houghton (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Ichiro Kawachi (Harvard University, US), Sandra McCune (WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition, UK) [Presented at the triennial conference of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations - "IAHAIO 2013: Humans and animals: The inevitable bond"]

Companion animals as a conduit for fostering social networks and social support. Lisa Wood (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Hayley Christian (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Andrea Nathan (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Claire Lauritsen (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Karen Martin (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Stephen Houghton (The University of Western Australia, Aus), Ichiro Kawachi (Harvard University, US), Sandra McCune (WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition, UK) [Presented at the triennial conference of the International Association of Human-Animal Interaction Organizations - "IAHAIO 2013: Humans and animals: The inevitable bond"]

About the WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition: Celebrating 50 years of innovative science, the WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition serves as a leading scientific authority in advancing the frontiers of research into the nutrition and health of companion animals. Located in Leicestershire, England, the renowned state-of-the-art science institute for Mars, Incorporated generates knowledge that enables the development of innovative products that meet pets' needs in a practical way. Since the publication of its first original research in 1963, WALTHAM® has pioneered many important breakthroughs in the field of pet nutrition and human-animal interaction, resulting in more than 1,700 publications, including over 600 peer-review scientific papers. Today, WALTHAM® continues to collaborate with the world's foremost scientific institutes, driving Mars' Petcare vision to create a better world for pets and providing the science and expertise that underpins leading Mars brands such as WHISKAS®, PEDIGREE®, NUTRO®, TRILL®, CESAR®, SHEBA®, KITEKAT®, DREAMIES™, AQUARIAN®, WINERGY®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital and the ROYAL CANIN brand.

About Mars, Incorporated In 1911, Frank C. Mars made the first Mars candies in his Tacoma, Washington kitchen and established Mars' first roots as a confectionery company. In the 1920s, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. joined his father in business and together they launched the MILKY WAY® bar. In 1932, Forrest, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a "mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders" – this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated today. Based in McLean, Virginia, Mars has net sales of more than $33 billion, six business segments including Petcare, Chocolate, Wrigley, Food, Drinks, Symbioscience, and more than 72,000 Associates worldwide that are putting its Principles into action to make a difference for people and the planet through its performance.

Mars brands include: Petcare – PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, WHISKAS®, KITEKAT®, BANFIELD® Pet Hospital, NUTRO®, SHEBA®, DREAMIES® and CESAR®; Chocolate – M&M'S®, SNICKERS®, DOVE®, GALAXY®, MARS®, MILKY WAY® and TWIX®; Wrigley – DOUBLEMINT®, EXTRA®, ORBIT® and 5™ chewing gums, SKITTLES® and STARBURST® candies, and ALTOIDS® AND LIFESAVERS® mints. Food –UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, EBLY®, MASTERFOODS®, SEEDS OF CHANGE® and ROYCO®; Drinks – ALTERRA ® Coffee Roasterscoffee, THE BRIGHT TEA CO.® tea,DOVE®/GALAXY® Hot Chocolate, and FLAVIA® brewer; Symbioscience – COCOAVIA®, WISDOM PANEL® and SERAMIS®.

For more information, please visit http://www.mars.com. Follow us: facebook.com/mars, twitter.com/marsglobal, youtube.com/mars.

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Hunting pushing central African forests toward ecological collapse

2013-07-23

Scientists from the Universities of Stirling, Oxford, Queensland and the Wildlife Conservation Society warn that current hunting trends in Central African forests could result in complete ecological collapse. The authors maintain that the current rate of unsustainable hunting of forest elephants, gorillas and other seed-dispersing species threatens the ability of forest ecosystems to regenerate, and that landscape-wide hunting management plans are needed to avoid an environmental catastrophe. The study appears in the latest version of Philosophical Transactions of ...

University of Hawaii Cancer Center researchers report

2013-07-23

HONOLULU, HI – University of Hawaii Cancer Center Prevention and Control Program researchers Pallav Pokhrel, PhD and Thaddeus Herzog, PhD have found that smokers who use e-cigarettes as a tool to stop smoking tend to be younger and more motivated to quit smoking as compared to other smokers. Their study published online ahead of the print version in the American Journal of Public Health, found that approximately 13 percent of smokers had tried e-cigarettes as a means of quitting smoking. They also found that smokers who had tried e-cigarettes for smoking cessation help ...

Putting the brakes on inflammation

2013-07-23

A team led by a University of Arizona researcher has discovered a previously unknown mechanism that prevents the immune system from going into overdrive, shedding light not only on how our body controls its response to pathogens but on conditions such as autoimmune diseases, allergies and chronic inflammation as well. The group found a protein previously believed to only play a role in blood clotting acts as a negative feedback signal, telling defense cells to calm down, thereby preventing an immune reaction from spiraling out of control. The results, which could lead ...

Rapid upper ocean warming linked to declining aerosols

2013-07-23

Australian scientists have identified causes of a rapid warming in the upper subtropical oceans of the Southern Hemisphere. They partly attribute the observed warming, and preceding cooling trends to ocean circulation changes induced by global greenhouse gas emissions and aerosols predominantly generated in the Northern Hemisphere from human activity. The research, by scientists from CSIRO and the University of NSW, was published today in Scientific Reports. Mr Tim Cowan, lead author of the study, says his group was initially interested in the three decade long cooling ...

Tropical ecosystems regulate variations in Earth's carbon dioxide levels

2013-07-23

Rising temperatures, influenced by natural events such as El Niño, have a corresponding increase in the release of carbon dioxide from tropical forest ecosystems, according to a new study out today. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that a temperature anomaly of just 1ºC (in near surface air temperatures in the tropics) leads to a 3.5-Petagram (billion tonnes of carbon) anomaly in the annual CO2 growth rate, on average. This is the equivalent of 1/3 of the annual global emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels ...

'Dead' gene comes to life, puts chill on inflammation, Stanford researchers find

2013-07-23

STANFORD, Calif. — A gene long presumed dead comes to life under the full moon of inflammation, Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have found. The discovery, described in a study to be published July 23 in eLife, may help explain how anti-inflammatory steroid drugs work. It also could someday lead to entirely new classes of anti-inflammatory treatments without some of steroids' damaging side effects. Chronic inflammation plays a role in cancer and in autoimmune, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. Anti-inflammatory steroid drugs ...

Digital PCR technology detects brain-tumor-associated mutation in cerebrospinal fluid

2013-07-23

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers and their colleagues have used digital versions of a standard molecular biology tool to detect a common tumor-associated mutation in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with brain tumors. In their report being published in the open-access journal Molecular Therapy – Nucleic Acids, the investigators describe using advanced forms of the gene-amplification technology polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to analyze bits of RNA carried in membrane-covered sacs called extracellular vesicles for the presence of a tumor-associated ...

Harvesting electricity from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide

2013-07-23

A new method for producing electricity from carbon dioxide could be the start of a classic trash-to-treasure story for the troublesome greenhouse gas, scientists are reporting. Described in an article in ACS' newly launched journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, the method uses CO2 from electric power plant and other smokestacks as the raw material for making electricity. Bert Hamelers, Ph.D., and colleagues explain that electric power-generating stations worldwide release about 12 billion tons of CO2 annually from combustion of coal, oil and natural gas. ...

Significant other's excessive fears can compromise patient's recovery from SAH

2013-07-23

Charlottesville, VA (July 23, 2013). Researchers from Durham University and Kings College London (United Kingdom) and the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany) found that patients who have suffered a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) may not recover psychosocially as well as expected if their significant other is excessively fearful about the possibility of SAH recurrence. The researchers' findings are discussed in "Family and friends' fears of recurrence: impact on the patient's recovery after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Clinical article," by Judith Covey, Ph.D., Adam J. ...

Researchers unravel secrets of mussels' clinginess

2013-07-23

CAMBRIDGE, Mass- Unlike barnacles, which cement themselves tightly to the surfaces of rocks, piers or ships, the clamlike bivalves called mussels dangle more loosely from these surfaces, attached by a collection of fine filaments known as byssus threads. This approach lets the creatures drift further out into the water, where they can absorb nutrients — although in the process, it exposes them to the risk of being torn away by the force of crashing waves. But that almost never happens. Despite the outwardly thin and fragile appearance of these threads, it turns out ...