Do senior citizens that have pets have less stress as measured by lower blood pressure
Research is the process of investigating a particular topic with a variety of dependable and scholarly resources. The three major goals of this exercise can be outlined as to establish facts, to analyze the information obtained from the research and ultimately through this information, to finally arrive at a given conclusion.
This therefore means for a research to be considered as accurate and credible, one first has to source for information, review the data obtained and eventually evaluate it. Several procedures must be adhered to get a positive result during research. One of the very most important and fundamental factor to put into consideration is research sampling.
Research sampling is defined as the process or technique whereby a researcher selects a representative or a subset part of a given population for the sole purpose of determining the distinctiveness of the whole population at large.
Positive results can only be obtained in this exercise if during the sampling process; one is able to correctly define the target population that the particular research will revolve around. This then will lead to the researcher specifying the sampling frame and should be closely followed by specifying articulately the sampling unit that will then lead to the selection of the sampling method. Eventually, by determining the sample size during a research process and specifying the sampling plan will ultimately lead to the most precise sample selected for the purpose of a particular research.
Whether, senior citizens that have pets indeed have less stress as measured by lower blood pressure remains a debatable school of thought. Researching on this particular issue is therefore called for so as bring out the accuracy of this statement and justify it to be a fact.
It is a common scenario to find animal pets in most homes. Ranging from dogs, cats to parrots, these animals are literary considered as part of the family by their owners. Though, one would easily associate pets with minors or the youth, who get them as a source of companionship or just as a hobby, it is important to note that pets’ owners differ right from age, to gender. It is therefore in order that there is no restriction as to who should and who should not own a pet.
Generally, pets are believed to provide emotional strength and support for its owner. Thus the saying a dog is man’s best friend. Pet owners tend to actually fair better both in terms of individual differences as well as their well-being in general as compared to those who do not own them. Pet owners at large are found to be less lonely, have a strong self-esteem, are physically fit and more alert among other positive traits. This is however. A general view associated to all pet owners (Carroll & Karmally, 2009).
The issue of senior citizens with pets having less stress and having better health as compared to those without can be argued as to be accurate. In justification of the above statement, I undertook research basing my work on the question at hand. In view to this topic, I found it paramount to critically focus on a research sampling method that would undoubtedly produce a precise validation of the case study. I had to choose between the two research-sampling methods, namely probability sampling method or non-probability sampling method.
In this research the sampling method that was employed, was the simple random sampling method. This research was based on the hypothesis that senior citizens that have found this is a method that is characterized by the fact that the probability of selecting a population is distributed evenly for all samples. In this method, selection of n units from a population of size N, this makes it possible for every sample in the population chance to represent.
In this case, the study was conducted on a sample of around a thousand senior citizens over the age of 50 and who have pets. The information was obtained from the pets association. Through this 100 members were selected. These were to form the random sample that would be studied and the findings made were to represent the whole population.
The names were drawn on strips of paper in 100s. These were then put into a box and the box was shaken to ensure that they mixed this made the names to mix randomly. The strips were then picked randomly to get the100 names that would represent the whole population. The population was chosen at 100 because of the lower population in the town.
Methodology
This process of research utilized methods such as interviews and questionnaires.
In interviews, the participants were paid visits in their homes. The visits were to both senior citizens with pet sand those without. The interviewer asked some questions to the participants on the state of their health in terms of stress levels and blood pressure.
Another method was through the use of questionnaires where the participants were handed questionnaires to fill after they consented. The questions were both open and structured. They were based on the relationships they had with their pets if any. Their state of health and stress levels.
Findings
It was found out that those senior citizens who had pest for longer periods in their lives tended to have lesser cases of stress and spikes in blood pressure levels. Those who kept cats and dogs were found to have lower blood pressure levels and heart rates as compared to those who did not have any (Radford, 2011).
Evaluation from these findings it was concluded that the decline in the heart rates and stress levels were as a result of the fact that when one has a pet thee is a tendency to exercise. This could be in forms of long walks in the mornings, in the evenings, or through playing with the pets. Those without pets may not need much exercise and thus may tend to have little or exercise.
Another reason that was attributed to this decline in health issues for pet owners was the fact that pets encourage owners to have an active social life. As people give their dogs walks they get a chance to meet with other people, stop to talk and even make friends. This increases the people that one interacts with daily. This is a good way of stress management (Evanson,2005).
Another possible reason for these findings was that pets give their owners a sense of love and acceptance. They also offer a love that is unconditional and thus for these people they do not have to deal with loneliness and a sense of being unwanted.
Pets also tend to be better listeners than people are. This is because they do not talk back. Thus if one needs to talk to someone then a pet gives more satisfaction this in the end serves to reduce stress levels (Evanson, 2005).
In conclusion, therefore this research was able to establish that senior citizens that have pets have less stress as measured by lower blood pressure levels. However owning a pet is not applicable for everyone. This is because of the additional responsibility that pets come with. However for those who can, a pet is a good thing, this is because it outweighs the responsibility
and the efforts that the pets need.
References
Caroll, D & Karmally,W.S. (2009) Controlling High Blood Pressure the Natural Way: London, Random House.
Evanson, S.J. & Simon, R.W. Clarifying the Relationship between Parenthood and Depression. Journal of Health and social Behavior. December 2005.
Radford, G.D, (2011) Animal, Diseases and Human Health; Shaping our Lives Now and in The Future:
New York, ABU-CLIO.
