Background: A growing body of research demonstrates that the human-animal bond (HAB) influences physical and mental health and health-related behaviors. However, prevailing Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) frameworks do not account for this factor, despite its influence on care access, housing stability, and system engagement. This session examines how the HAB functions as both an independent influence on health outcomes and a modifier within established SDoH domains, and explores the implications of its omission for public health systems.
Methods: This session synthesizes interdisciplinary research on the human-animal bond and health outcomes, including a recent qualitative study on how SDoH shape access to veterinary and human services, alongside insights from AlignCare’s multi-year pilot model.
Results: Findings indicate that the HAB is associated with health behaviors, resilience, and social connection, while also shaping care-seeking and engagement with services. Across sources, it functions as a protective influence and a constraint under conditions shaped by economic instability, housing limitations, and access to care. When systems do not account for this dynamic, individuals may delay or forgo care, encounter barriers to housing and services, or face trade-offs that negatively affect health outcomes. Recent policy developments in Colorado reflect this emerging recognition.
Implications: Failure to account for the HAB may contribute to gaps in service delivery and inequities in access to care, particularly for populations facing structural barriers. Integrating this factor into public health frameworks offers an opportunity to improve system alignment, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and enhance care accessibility. These approaches have implications for improving health outcomes, reducing system inefficiencies, and advancing more coordinated models of care.
Additional time is requested to support application of session concepts to participants’ practice settings. Participants will engage in reflection and small-group discussion to identify where the HAB intersects their work and assess system gaps within existing programs and policies.
