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Pet ownership and adolescent health: Cross‐sectional population study
Author(s) -
Mathers Megan,
Canterford Louise,
Olds Tim,
Waters Elizabeth,
Wake Melissa
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1754.2010.01830.x
Subject(s) - medicine , psychosocial , overweight , animal assisted therapy , population , quality of life (healthcare) , cross sectional study , demography , gerontology , body mass index , environmental health , pet therapy , animal welfare , nursing , psychiatry , ecology , pathology , sociology , biology
Objective: To determine whether adolescent health and well‐being are associated with having a pet in the household (any pet, or specifically dogs, cats or horses/ponies) or average daily time spent caring for/playing with pet(s). Methods: Design, setting and participants – Cross‐sectional data from the third wave of the Health of Young Victorians Study (HOYVS), a school‐based population study in Victoria, Australia. Predictors – Adolescent‐reported pet ownership and average daily time spent caring for/playing with pet(s). Outcomes – Self‐reported quality of life (KIDSCREEN); average 4‐day daily physical activity level from a computerised diary; parent‐proxy and self‐reported physical and psychosocial health status (PedsQL); measured BMI status (not overweight, overweight, obese) and blood pressure. Statistical Analysis – Regression methods, adjusted for socio‐demographic factors, and non‐parametric methods. Results: Household pet data were available for 928 adolescents (466 boys; mean age of 15.9 (SD 1.2) years). Most adolescents (88.7%) reported having a pet in their household. Of these, 75.1% reported no activity involving pets over the surveyed days. It appeared that neither owning a pet nor time spent caring for/playing with a pet was related, positively or negatively, to adolescent health or well‐being. Conclusions: Despite high rates of pet ownership, adolescents had little interaction with pets. It appears that owning a pet and time spent caring for/playing with a pet was not clearly associated with adolescents' health or well‐being.