Abstract
Obesity is a major risk factor for lifestyle-related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. Several studies have investigated the association between pet ownership and obesity, but the findings have been inconsistent. This systematic literature review and meta-analysis assessed the association between pet ownership and obesity. Using PubMed and Scopus, we overviewed the literature published until December 2019 and selected pertinent data for meta-analysis. Two independent reviewers extracted the data. Pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for obesity were calculated using the random-effects model with inverse-variance weighting. The 21 included articles were cross-sectional studies. Five publications (nine analyses) that reported adjusted RRs for BMI ≥ 25 were included in the meta-analysis. No significant association existed between pet ownership and obesity (pooled RR = 1.038; 95% CI, 0.922–1.167; I2 = 51.8%). After stratification by age group (children vs. adults), no significant association was detected (pooled RR = 0.844; 95% CI, 0.604–1.179; I2 = 64.1% vs. pooled RR = 1.099; 95% CI, 0.997–1.212; I2 = 25.2%). Similarly, no significant association was observed between dog ownership and obesity, indicating no association between pet ownership and obesity. However, no infer causation can be reported because all studies included in this meta-analysis were cross-sectional. Therefore, further prospective studies are needed.
Highlights
A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisKenta Miyake 1,† , Kumiko Kito 2,† , Ayaka Kotemori 1,3,† , Kazuto Sasaki 4 , Junpei Yamamoto 1,3 , Yuko Otagiri 5 , Miho Nagasawa 3,6 , Sayaka Kuze-Arata 3,6 , Kazutaka Mogi 3,6 , Takefumi Kikusui 3,6 and Junko Ishihara 1,3, *
In recent years, the association between pet ownership and human health outcomes has been increasingly investigated
Articles were excluded from the review when: (1) exposure was not pet ownership; (2) outcomes were unrelated to obesity; (3) participants were not community-dwelling people; (4) studies were involved in animal or cell studies, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, or conference reports
Summary
Kenta Miyake 1,† , Kumiko Kito 2,† , Ayaka Kotemori 1,3,† , Kazuto Sasaki 4 , Junpei Yamamoto 1,3 , Yuko Otagiri 5 , Miho Nagasawa 3,6 , Sayaka Kuze-Arata 3,6 , Kazutaka Mogi 3,6 , Takefumi Kikusui 3,6 and Junko Ishihara 1,3, *.
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