Pet Ownership Status Research Articles

Pet ownership and lifestyle behaviours of immunosuppressed individuals and their relatives in the context of COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and containment measures will likely have a detrimental impact on immunosuppressed individuals’ lifestyle behaviours. Increasing evidence suggests that pet ownership is positively associated with healthier lifestyle. Yet, no study has investigated the potential benefits of pet ownership on lifestyle behaviours of immunosuppressed individuals, a population at increased risk of COVID-19 complications. This study aims to examine 1) changes in light, moderate and vigorous intensity physical activity (LPA, MPA, VPA), sedentary time (SED), and sleep duration, assessed by comparing “before COVID-19 pandemic” and “past 7 days” (i.e., current, during pandemic) self-reported behaviours in immunosuppressed individuals and their relatives; 2) to assess if changes in lifestyle behaviours are associated with pet ownership status and whether age is a moderator of these associations. A convenience sample of 132 participants (65.2% female, 41.3% ≥55 years of age) provided self-reported LPA, MPA, VPA (days/week), SED and sleep (min/day) and pet ownership status using an online questionnaire (May-August 2020). Descriptive analyses, paired T-tests, Cohen’s d effect size and linear regressions were conducted. Results show that participants reported a decrease in VPA (−0.56 days/week, d = 0.34; p < 0.01) and an increase in SED (106.79 min/day, d = −0.81; p < 0.01). Stratified analysis revealed that having at least one dog, compared to not owning pets, is associated with a reduced decline in LPA, MPA and VPA and an increase in sleep in participants aged < 55 years old only. Having a dog appears to be positively associated with healthy lifestyle behaviours in younger and middle age immunosuppressed individuals.

More than dog walking: Pets as physical activity and social connection facilitators in the lives of retirement village residents

Abstract Objectives: This mixed-methods study examined the relationship between pet ownership status and social connectedness, physical activity engagement, and the quality of life of older adults living in retirement villages. Methods: A survey was distributed to older adults (N = 58) living in retirement villages in South Australia. Those who expressed interest (N = 16) took part in an additional diary study, whereby they reported their social and physical activities over the course of a week. Results: Physical activity, social connectedness, and quality of life did not differ significantly based on pet ownership status. Social connectedness was positively related to the quality of life regardless of pet ownership status. Many pet owners described how their pets were integral to their lives. Discussion: The notion of pet presence offers a promising pathway for future research. The strategies and policies that support pet ownership in retired villages require further investigation.

Traditional pettism: The influence of pet ownership status, pet type, and pet properties on pet moral standing

Traditional pettism: The influence of pet ownership status, pet type, and pet properties on pet moral standing

Moral decision-making in pettism: The influence of animal type, pet ownership status, and social distance.

Speciesism prioritizes humans over animals and pets. Nevertheless, pet owners have a strong attachment bond with their pets, which makes their hierarchical view of pets less clear. Aiming to examine this issue, we present a dilemma involving animals and humans that allowed us to investigate whether animal type, social distance, and pet ownership status can affect moral decision-making related to pets. Save-willingness results showed that in the moral dilemmas of pets versus livestock versus wild animals (Studies 1a and 2a) and their own pets versus strangers (Studies 1b and 2b), pet owners prioritize pets whereas non-owners prioritize pets (Studies 1a and 2a) and strangers (Studies 1b and 2b). Pet owners prefer to save pets more than do non-owners (Study 1a), and this effect was only observed in females (Study 2a). Save-decision results showed that in the moral dilemmas of pets versus livestock versus wild animals (Study 2a), pet owners prioritize pets whereas in the dilemmas of pets versus strangers (Study 2b), pet owners prioritize strangers. The same result was found in non-owners. Pet owners prefer more than do non-owners to save pets (Study 2). Overall, the separation of save-willingness and save-decision results revealed that pet owners show special speciesism (i.e., pettism).

Can dog-assisted and relaxation interventions boost spatial ability in children with and without special educational needs? A longitudinal, randomized controlled trial.

Children's spatial cognition abilities are a vital part of their learning and cognitive development, and important for their problem-solving capabilities, the development of mathematical skills and progress in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) topics. As many children have difficulties with STEM topic areas, and as these topics have suffered a decline in uptake in students, it is worthwhile to find out how learning and performance can be enhanced at an early age. The current study is the first to investigate if dog-assisted and relaxation interventions can improve spatial abilities in school children. It makes a novel contribution to empirical research by measuring longitudinally if an Animal-Assisted Intervention (AAI) or relaxation intervention can boost children's development of spatial abilities. Randomized controlled trials were employed over time including dog intervention, relaxation intervention and no treatment control groups. Interventions were carried out over 4 weeks, twice a week for 20 min. Children were tested in mainstream schools (N = 105) and in special educational needs (SEN) schools (N = 64) before and after interventions, after 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year. To assess intervention type and to provide advice for subsequent best practice recommendations, dog-assisted interventions were run as individual or small group interventions. Overall, children's spatial abilities improved over the year with highest increases in the first 4 months. In Study 1, typically developing children showed higher scores and more continuous learning overall compared to children with special educational needs. Children in the dog intervention group showed higher spatial ability scores immediately after interventions and after a further 6 weeks (short-term). Children in the relaxation group also showed improved scores short-term after relaxation intervention. In contrast, the no treatment control group did not improve significantly. No long-term effects were observed. Interestingly, no gender differences could be observed in mainstream school children's spatial skills. In study 2, children in SEN schools saw immediate improvements in spatial abilities after relaxation intervention sessions. No changes were seen after dog interventions or in the no treatment control group. Participants' pet ownership status did not have an effect in either cohort. These are the first findings showing that AAI and relaxation interventions benefit children's spatial abilities in varied educational settings. This research represents an original contribution to Developmental Psychology and to the field of Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) and is an important step towards further in-depth investigation of how AAI and relaxation interventions can help children achieve their learning potential, both in mainstream schools and in schools for SEN.

Pet ownership during pregnancy and mothers' mental health conditions up to 1 year postpartum: A nationwide birth cohort—the Japan Environment and Children's Study

BackgroundPrevious studies have investigated the relationship between pet ownership and mental health in various populations, but few have targeted women around childbirth when they have heightened vulnerability to mental disorders. This study therefore examined this association in women around childbirth. MethodsData were obtained from 80,814 mothers in an ongoing nationwide birth cohort study in Japan. Pet ownership status—none, dog(s) only, cat(s) only, or both—was determined during the second/third trimester of pregnancy. Mental health was assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), with each score measured at two different time points around childbirth. Generalized linear models were used to derive adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for pet ownership, with no pet ownership as the reference. ResultsDog ownership was associated with reduced risk of depressive symptoms at 1 month (aOR: 0.97, 95%CI: 0.95–0.98) and 6 months postpartum (aOR: 0.98, 95%CI: 0.96–0.99) and with psychological distress at 12 months postpartum (aOR: 0.96, 95%CI: 0.92–0.999). In contrast, cat ownership was associated with increased risk of depressive symptoms at 6 months postpartum (aOR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.02–1.06) and psychological distress in the second/third trimester (aOR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.02–1.12). Ownership of both cats and dogs was associated with increased risk of psychological distress in the second/third trimester (aOR: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.03–1.21) but was largely similar to that of the reference group. ConclusionsDog ownership was a protective factor for maternal mental health problems, whereas cat ownership was a risk factor. These findings suggest that the type of pet owned, cat or dog, plays a differential role in maintaining mothers’ mental health in the perinatal and postpartum periods.

The Relation Between Pet Ownership, Anxiety, and Depressive Symptoms in Late Life: Propensity Score Matched Analyses

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms between older adult pet owners and non-pet owners after accounting for various correlates. Research findings on the anxiety-relieving and antidepressant effects of late-life pet ownership are mixed and limited. This may be due in part to various characteristics that impact the likelihood of owning a pet. Propensity score matching was used to pair 169 pet owners with 169 non-pet owners aged 70–91 years who participated in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Study of Aging. One set of propensity scores was created using age, sex, race, rurality, marital status, and income, as well as self-reported health, difficulty with activities of daily living, and difficulty with instrumental activities of daily living. A second set of scores was created using age, sex, race, rurality, marital status, and income. Multiple linear regression analyses were then used to explore the relation between pet ownership status and anxiety or depressive symptoms, controlling for the other symptoms. Pet ownership was significantly associated with lower self-reported anxiety symptoms (β = –0.14) but not depressive symptoms (β = –0.03) in the data matched without health variables. When propensity score matching included health variables, pet ownership was related to neither symptoms of anxiety (β = –0.08) nor depression (β = 0.05). These results suggest that owning a pet in later life is related to fewer anxiety symptoms, over and above the impact of depressive symptoms, even after accounting for various demographic and economic covariates. However, general and functional health appear to be critical to this relation, but the direction of this relation could not be determined from our analyses (i.e., it is not clear whether the relation between pet ownership and anxiety symptoms is confounded by, mediates, or is mediated by health). This study is the first large-scale analysis to find a significant relation between pet ownership and fewer anxiety symptoms in older adults.

A Study on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices on Rabies in the Philippines

In 2007, the Philippine government passed the Anti-Rabies Act to address rabies in the country. However, rabies is still a major public health concern in many provinces. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of residents on rabies, the Anti Rabies Act, and responsible pet ownership (RPO) in Pampanga, Philippines. A cross-sectional survey was done from October 2017 to February 2018 in 92 randomly selected barangays in the province. Questionnaires were adapted from similar studies. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with KAP. Results showed that most people have good knowledge of the Anti-Rabies Act, RPO, and moderate knowledge of rabies. Their attitude toward rabies was appropriate, and on RPO, moderate. The RPO practices by most dog owners were good and moderate for most cat owners. Moreover, the subjects’ area of residence was a significant factor in their knowledge of RPO, and pet ownership status was a significant factor in their RPO attitude. In general, respondents showed satisfactory knowledge; however, there is a need to intensify information and education campaigns in rural areas.

Pets Are Associated with Fewer Peer Problems and Emotional Symptoms, and Better Prosocial Behavior: Findings from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children

To investigate the longitudinal association between pet ownership and children's social-emotional development. Two time-points of data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were analyzed for children at ages 5 (n=4242) and 7 (n=4431) years. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) measured children's social-emotional development. Pet ownership status and type (dog, cat, other) as well as sociodemographic and other potential confounders were collected. Longitudinal panel regression models were used. Overall, 27% of children had abnormal scores on 1 or more SDQ scales. By age 7, 75% of children had pets with ownership highest in single-child households. Owning any type of pet was associated with decreased odds of abnormal scores for emotional symptoms (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67-0.99), peer problems (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60-0.84), and prosocial behavior (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.38-0.70), compared with non-pet owners. Dog ownership was associated with decreased odds of abnormal scores on any of the SDQ scales (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.71-0.93). For children without any siblings, only the prosocial behavior scale was significantly associated with pet ownership (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.07-0.66). In longitudinal models, cat-only and dog-only groups were associated with fewer emotional symptoms and peer problems compared with non-pet owners. Early school age is an important period for family pet acquisition. Pets may protect children from developing social-emotional problems and should be taken into account when assessing child development and school readiness. Children without siblings may benefit most in terms of their prosocial behavior.

An Examination of Adult Women’s Sleep Quality and Sleep Routines in Relation to Pet Ownership and Bedsharing

ABSTRACTPeople in many parts of the world commonly share their beds not only with human partners but also with dogs and cats. Self-report and actigraphy data have shown that sleeping with an adult human partner has both positive and negative impacts on human sleep, but there has been little exploration of the impacts that pets have on human sleep quality. We collected survey data online from 962 adult women living in the United States to investigate relationships between pet ownership and human sleep. Fifty-five percent of participants shared their bed with at least one dog and 31% with at least one cat. In addition, 57% of participants shared their bed with a human partner. Our findings did not show a strong relationship between pet ownership status or bedsharing conditions and sleep quality as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), although according to this measure, a high percentage of study participants did experience sleep quality deficits. It is possible that pet ownership contributed to the high global PSQI scores we observed, especially since all but 7% of participants resided with dogs and/or cats. Other measures included in this study indicate that dogs and cats, and where they sleep, may indeed affect sleep habits and perceptions of sleep quality. Dog owners had earlier bedtimes and wake times than individuals who had cats but no dogs. Compared with human bed partners, dogs who slept in the owner’s bed were perceived to disturb sleep less and were associated with stronger feelings of comfort and security. Conversely, cats who slept in their owner’s bed were reported to be equally as disruptive as human partners, and were associated with weaker feelings of comfort and security than both human and dog bed partners. Follow-up research is necessary to determine if pet owners’ perceptions of pets’ impacts on their sleep align with objective measures of sleep quality.

Poster #182 COMPULSORY PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT IN CANADA: 100 CASES

To investigate the longitudinal association between pet ownership and children's social-emotional development.Two time-points of data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were analyzed for children at ages 5 (n = 4242) and 7 (n = 4431) years. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) measured children's social-emotional development. Pet ownership status and type (dog, cat, other) as well as sociodemographic and other potential confounders were collected. Longitudinal panel regression models were used.Overall, 27% of children had abnormal scores on 1 or more SDQ scales. By age 7, 75% of children had pets with ownership highest in single-child households. Owning any type of pet was associated with decreased odds of abnormal scores for emotional symptoms (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.67-0.99), peer problems (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.60-0.84), and prosocial behavior (OR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.38-0.70), compared with non-pet owners. Dog ownership was associated with decreased odds of abnormal scores on any of the SDQ scales (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.71-0.93). For children without any siblings, only the prosocial behavior scale was significantly associated with pet ownership (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.07-0.66). In longitudinal models, cat-only and dog-only groups were associated with fewer emotional symptoms and peer problems compared with non-pet owners.Early school age is an important period for family pet acquisition. Pets may protect children from developing social-emotional problems and should be taken into account when assessing child development and school readiness. Children without siblings may benefit most in terms of their prosocial behavior.

Usefulness of Pet Ownership as a Modulator of Cardiac Autonomic Imbalance in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus, Hypertension, and/or Hyperlipidemia

Among patients with coronary artery disease, pet owners exhibit a greater 1-year survival rate than nonowners. Lifestyle-related diseases are well-known risk factors for coronary artery disease and induce imbalances in autonomic nervous activity. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether pet ownership modulates cardiac autonomic nervous activity imbalance in patients with lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. A total of 191 patients (mean age 69 ± 8 years) were interviewed about their pet ownership status and were classified into pet owner and nonowner groups. After recording a 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram for heart rate variability analysis, frequency-domain and nonlinear-domain analyses were performed to determine the high-frequency (HF) and low-frequency (LF) components, LF/HF ratio, and entropy. The heart rate variability parameters were assessed for 24 hours, during the day (8.00 A.M. to 5.00 P.M.), and during the night (0:00 A.M. to 6.00 A.M.), and compared between the 2 groups. To evaluate the potential predictive factors for cardiac autonomic imbalance, univariate and multivariate analyses of HF and LF/HF were conducted for potential confounding variables. The pet owner group exhibited significantly greater HF(24h), HF(day), HF(night), entropy(24h), entropy(day), and entropy(night) and significantly lower LF/HF(24h) and LF/HF(night) compared to the nonowner group. On multivariate analysis, pet ownership was independently and positively associated with HF(24h,) HF(day), and HF(night) and inversely associated with LF/HF(24h) and LF/HF(night). In conclusion, these results suggest that pet ownership is an independent modulator of cardiac autonomic imbalance in patients with lifestyle-related diseases.

1420 Should My Child Have a Pet?

Background: The keeping of pets is a common practice both nationally and internationally. Many children are exposed to pets from a very young age. Evidence in relation to their role in childhood morbidity is ambiguous. Little Irish data exists on pet demographics and the epidemiology of pet-related illnesses in children. Aims: Our aims were to research pet demographics in Ireland, to explore the relationship between pets and childhood illnesses and to learn more about Irish parents' attitudes to pets and disease. Methods: A literature review was carried out on the association between pets and disease in childhood. A random selection of 500 parents and children attending a Paediatric Hospital during February and March 2010 were interviewed in order to ascertain pet ownership status, associated problems and beliefs regarding risks and benefits. Results: At present, conflicting evidence exists regarding the association of common household pets and atopy. Of the 500 households surveyed 49% owned a pet and 52% of these had multiple pets. Dogs and cats were the most popular pets among our study group but a wide range of animals were noted. One fifth of pet owners had experienced morbidity as a result of their pet. Conclusion: The overall impression conveyed that Irish parents who had been pet owners in childhood were strong advocates of the psychological advantages of pets. The effort involved in caring for a pet rather than risk of illness was cited as the main deterrent by those who declined pet ownership.

Attitudes to native bandicoots in an urban environment

Urbanization along the eastern seaboard of Australia has increased the potential for conflict between humans and wildlife. The northern suburbs of Sydney are home to the southern brown (Isoodon obesulus) and the long-nosed bandicoot (Perameles nasuta). Both are known to enter yards of home owners causing a disturbance to yard plantings and an interaction with domestic pets. Understanding the driving factors behind the public’s perception of bandicoots will enable wildlife managers to develop effective and socially acceptable conservation strategies. Six hundred and thirty questionnaires were distributed to the residents bordering Ku-ring-gai Chase and Garigal National Park in Sydney, Australia, to assess the sources of conflict. Eighty-three percent of respondents had experienced bandicoot interactions and 27% had experienced interactions on a daily basis. This interaction with bandicoots influenced respondents’ perception of a bandicoot as a nuisance or pest. The age of the resident and pet ownership status also influenced respondents’ attitudes. Contrary to anecdotal reports, there was an overall positive response from the community. The information gained from this survey will inform the development community-based management strategies for the bandicoots of northern Sydney.

Validation and Use of the Animal Thematic Apperception Test (ATAT)

AbstractThere are several contexts in which it is desirable to know how individuals perceive animals. However, most people describe these feelings with little precision. Several scales are useful for assessing attitudes toward individual animals of people who currently own or have owned pets. These usually include items about the role of the pet in the family, habitual means of interacting with the pet, and so on. The Animal Thematic Apperception Test (ATAT) was designed to assess attitudes toward animals independent of pet-ownership status by means of semantic differential scale ratings of line drawings. Preliminary evaluation of this test was completed on a sample of 68 white undergraduate students. The current study was designed to examine further the validity and reliability of the scale and the effect of the presence of animals in various scenes on individuals' perceptions of both the scenes and the people in them. Students (N=213) examined three separate scenes, two with and one without animals, and...

Pet Ownership and Nonownership among Elderly in Arizona

AbstractThis paper reports the results of a study that examined attitudes toward and attachments to pets of community-based elderly persons in Arizona. Over a three-month period, face-to-face interviews were conducted with a self-selected nonprobability sample of 218 persons 55 years of age and older. Of these 218 people, 80 were owners, and 138 were non-owners. With pet-ownership status used as the dependent variable, housing (specifically, living in a single-family home or a trailer), pet-attachment level in childhood, and health status explain 24% of the variance in whether or not an older person will be a pet owner.