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Quiz: Pets and Your Health

Find out what you know about the benefits

Randy Lilleston,

AARP

En español

Published October 16, 2023

8 Questions

d163815d-65fa-4237-a8c1-2540d6e6d99b

Quiz: Pets and Your Health

[ {
 "question" : "According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the bond between people and pets can help people reduce this:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Blood pressure",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Triglyceride levels",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Anxiety",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "All of the above",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Pets also can reduce symptoms of PTSD and feelings of loneliness, the CDC says.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "True or false? People who are pregnant should avoid adopting a new cat. \n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "True",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "False",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Cats can carry the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, a disease that can cause birth defects, according to the CDC. However, the agency says you don’t need to give up your current cat if you’re pregnant.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Having a dog earlier in life may lower your risk of:\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Allergies",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Obesity",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Both of these",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Neither of these",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "A Canadian study showed that babies from families with pets, most of which were dogs, had higher levels of microbes associated with lower allergy and obesity risk.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "There has been an increasing amount of research into the interaction between people and animals. What is that field of study called?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Anthropology",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Humanology",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Anthrozoology",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Phrenology",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Anthrozoology research has helped demonstrate the many health benefits of pet ownership.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "A headline-making 2015 study by the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center found that incorporating pet care into a child’s self-care diabetes plan can help lower blood glucose levels. What kind of pet was used in the study?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Dog",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Cat",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Hamster",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Fish",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "After three months, the group’s A1C levels decreased by half a percent compared to a control group, the study stated.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "Not all the health news is good. In a 2023 study, this pet was linked to higher odds of having a sleep disorder.\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Dog",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "Cat",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Hamster",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Fish",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "The study, published in the journal 'Human–Animal Interactions,' also found that cats were associated with greater odds of having leg jerks while sleeping.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "In 2019, a meta-analysis of 10 studies involving more than 3.8 million people linked dog ownership to a 24 percent risk reduction in mortality for this.\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Diabetes",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Stroke",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "Cancer",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 }, {
 "answer" : "All causes",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "Cardiovascular risk was even better: Dog ownership was associated with a 31 percent risk reduction for death from heart disease, the study found.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
 "question" : "There have been numerous studies indicating that petting a dog can help reduce stress, but is there research backing up the same association with cats?\n",
 "answers" : [ {
 "answer" : "Yes",
 "correctAnswer" : true
 }, {
 "answer" : "No",
 "correctAnswer" : false
 } ],
 "multiSelect" : false,
 "explanation" : "A 2019 study at Washington State University found that interacting with both cats and dogs reduced stress levels in students who were tested.\n",
 "hint" : "",
 "hintLink" : "",
 "questionImgCaption" : "",
 "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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Randy Lilleston is the homepage editor for AARP.org. He previously served as editor-in-chief for business news publisher Industry Dive and was a senior digital editor for NPR, USA Today and CNN.