Dataset Information

The Relationship Between Dog-Related Factors and Owners' Attitudes Toward Pets: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Korea.

ABSTRACT: In Korea, there is a need for research on human-animal relationships because of an increase in the number of companion animals and the positive changes in public perception toward them. Few studies have examined these changes. This epidemiological study investigates the characteristics of Korean dog owners and their pet dogs and identifies the owner- and dog-dependent factors that influence the owners' attitudes toward pets. We conducted a cross-sectional study of dog owners by asking them to complete a Pet Attitude Scale-based questionnaire about their dogs and themselves. The participants included 654 young adults between 19 and 39 years of age who lived in Seoul and owned dogs. We found that most dogs were owned by single, educated, high-income men who preferred small purebred dogs. Most were also likely to underestimate their dog's body condition score (BCS). The multivariable logistic regression (odds ratio, OR) and the multiple linear regression (unstandardized coefficients, B) models suggested that positive pet attitudes were associated with nine factors: overweight (OR = 2.68, B = 5.28) or a normal BCS (OR = 2.09, B = 5.58), having a medical history of related diseases (OR = 2.36, B = 6.38) and vaccination (OR = 2.10, B = 6.22), buying the pet dog (OR = 0.60, B = -3.85), having a small dog (?10 kg) (OR = 1.66), visiting the veterinarian frequently (OR = 1.08, B = 0.39), spending more time with the dog (OR = 1.23, B =1.32), and keeping other species in the house (B = -4.27). This study is the first to identify the relationships between owner- and dog-dependent factors and pet owner attitude toward pets, all within a Korean cultural context. This study highlights the factors associated with the development of relationships between pet dogs and their owners. The exploratory study is novel because it examines pet ownership in the context of the Korean culture; previous pet ownership studies were set in the West and are analyzed with Western cultural values in mind.

SUBMITTER: Kim WH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7461997 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The Relationship Between Dog-Related Factors and Owners' Attitudes Toward Pets: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Korea.

Kim Woo-Hyun WH Min Kyung-Duk KD Cho Sung-Il SI Cho Seongbeom S

Frontiers in veterinary science 20200818

In Korea, there is a need for research on human-animal relationships because of an increase in the number of companion animals and the positive changes in public perception toward them. Few studies have examined these changes. This epidemiological study investigates the characteristics of Korean dog owners and their pet dogs and identifies the owner- and dog-dependent factors that influence the owners' attitudes toward pets. We conducted a cross-sectional study of dog owners by asking them to co ...[more]

PMID: 33015137

Similar Datasets

Project description:Background: Various health benefits from the ownership of companion dogs have been studied from a One Health perspective. However, the preventive effects on depression are unclear, with inconsistent results across studies. We hypothesized that heterogeneity among owners would be related to the mixed results. Specifically, the difference in the strength of the bond between the owners and their companion dogs would modify the effect of dog ownership. As an exploratory study, we compared the depression symptoms of the owners with favorable attitudes toward their dogs, with those of the owners with unfavorable attitudes, to investigate the potential effect modification of owners' attitudes on the association between the ownership and depression symptom. Methods: We conducted a web-based questionnaire survey of 654 19- to 39-year-old adults who had companion dogs in Seoul, South Korea, where a major health burden is depression among young adults. We measured the owners' attitudes toward their dogs using the modified Pet Attitude Scale (PAS-M) and their depression symptoms using the short version of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies depression scale (CESD-10). Demographic and socioeconomic factors were measured to adjust for the association between attitude and depression symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression models were used in this study. Results: The owners who had less favorable attitudes toward their dogs (lower PAS-M scores) tended to have depression symptoms. The direction and significance were maintained either when the PAS-M variable was used as a continuous variable (odds ratio (OR) for one score increase in PAS-M was 0.95 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.94-0.96)) or as a categorical variable (OR for lower PAS-M was 3.19 (95% CI = 2.28 -4.47)). Conclusion: We found a positive significant association between owners' depression symptoms and unfavorable attitudes toward their dogs, although causal direction could not be determined. Future studies should investigate the potential causal link.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Despite the significant body of evidence on the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of internet interventions, the implementation of such programs in Portugal is virtually non-existent. In addition, Portuguese psychologists' use and their attitudes towards such interventions is largely unknown. OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to explore Portuguese psychologists' knowledge, training, use and attitudes towards internet interventions; to investigate perceived advantages and limitations of such interventions; identify potential drivers and barriers impacting implementation; and study potential factors associated to previous use and attitudes towards internet interventions. METHODS:An online cross-sectional survey was developed by the authors and disseminated by the Portuguese Psychologists Association to its members. RESULTS:A total of 1077 members of the Portuguese Psychologists Association responded to the questionnaire between November 2018 and February 2019. Of these, 37.2% (N=363) were familiar with internet interventions and 19.2% (N=188) considered having the necessary training to work within the field. 29.6% (N=319) of participants reported to have used some form of digital technology to deliver care in the past. Telephone (23.8%; N=256), e-mail (16.2%; N=175) and SMS (16.1%; N=173) services were among the most adopted forms of digital technology, while guided (1.3%; N=14) and unguided (1.5%; N=16) internet interventions were rarely used. Accessibility (79.9%; N=860), convenience (45.7%; N=492) and cost-effectiveness (45.5%; N=490) were considered the most important advantages of internet interventions. Conversely, ethical concerns (40.7%; N=438), client's ICT illiteracy (43.2%; N=465) and negative attitudes towards internet interventions (37%; N=398) were identified as the main limitations. An assessment of participants attitudes towards internet interventions revealed a slightly negative/neutral stance (Median=46.21; SD=15.06) and revealed greater acceptability towards blended treatment interventions (62.9%; N=615) when compared to standalone internet interventions (18.6%; N=181). Significant associations were found between knowledge (?24=90.4; P<.001), training (?24=94.6; P<.001), attitudes (?23=38.4; P<.001) and previous use of internet interventions and between knowledge (?212=109.7; P<.001), training (?212=64.7; P<.001) and attitudes towards such interventions, with psychologists reporting to be ignorant and not having adequate training in the field, being more likely to present more negative attitudes towards these interventions and not having prior experience in its implementation. CONCLUSIONS:This study revealed that most Portuguese psychologists are not familiar with and have no training or prior experience using internet interventions and had a slightly negative/neutral attitude towards such interventions. There was greater acceptability towards blended treatment interventions compared to standalone internet interventions. Lack of knowledge and training were identified as the main barriers to overcome, underlining the need of promoting awareness and training initiatives to ensure internet interventions successful implementation.

Project description:ObjectiveTo investigate whether dog and cat owners and their pets share a risk of developing diabetes.DesignCohort study.SettingRegister based longitudinal study, Sweden.Participants208 980 owner-dog pairs and 123 566 owner-cat pairs identified during a baseline assessment period (1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006).Main outcome measuresType 2 diabetes events in dog and cat owners and diabetes events in their pets, including date of diagnosis during the follow-up period (1 January 2007 to 31 December 2012). Owners with type 2 diabetes were identified by combining information from the National Patient Register, the Cause of Death Register, and the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register. Information on diabetes in the pets was extracted from veterinary care insurance data. Multi-state models were used to assess the hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals and to adjust for possible shared risk factors, including personal and socioeconomic circumstances.ResultsThe incidence of type 2 diabetes during follow-up was 7.7 cases per 1000 person years at risk in dog owners and 7.9 cases per 1000 person years at risk in cat owners. The incidence of diabetes in the pets was 1.3 cases per 1000 dog years at risk and 2.2 cases per 1000 cat years at risk. The crude hazard ratio for type 2 diabetes in owners of a dog with diabetes compared with owners of a dog without diabetes was 1.38 (95% confidence interval 1.10 to 1.74), with a multivariable adjusted hazard ratio of 1.32 (1.04 to 1.68). Having an owner with type 2 diabetes was associated with an increased hazard of diabetes in the dog (crude hazard ratio 1.28, 1.01 to 1.63), which was attenuated after adjusting for owner's age, with the confidence interval crossing the null (1.11, 0.87 to 1.42). No association was found between type 2 diabetes in cat owners and diabetes in their cats (crude hazard ratio 0.99, 0.74 to 1.34, and 1.00, 0.78 to 1.28, respectively).ConclusionsData indicated that owners of a dog with diabetes were more likely to develop type 2 diabetes during follow-up than owners of a dog without diabetes. It is possible that dogs with diabetes could serve as a sentinel for shared diabetogenic health behaviours and environmental exposures.

Dataset Information

The Relationship Between Dog-Related Factors and Owners' Attitudes Toward Pets: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Korea.

Publications

The Relationship Between Dog-Related Factors and Owners' Attitudes Toward Pets: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study in Korea.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets