Pets and Human Health in Germany and Australia: National Longitudinal Results (original) (raw)

Abstract

The German and Australian longitudinal surveys analysed here are the first national representative surveys to show that (1) people who continuously own a pet are the healthiest group and (2) people who cease to have a pet or never had one are less healthy. Most previous studies which have claimed that pets confer health benefits were cross-sectional. So they were open to the objection that owners may have been healthier in the first place, rather than becoming healthier due to owning a pet. In both countries the data show that pet owners make about 15% fewer annual doctor visits than non-owners. The relationship remains statistically significant after controlling for gender, age, marital status, income and other variables associated with health. The German data come from the German Socio-Economic Panel in which respondents have been interviewed every year since 1984 (N = 9723). Australian data come from the Australian National Social Science Survey 2001 (N = 1246).

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic & Social Research, University of Melbourne, 3052, Parkville, Australia
   Bruce Headey
2. SOEP, German Institute of Economic Research (DIW), Koenigin-Luise Str. 5, 14195, Berlin, Germany
   Markus M. Grabka

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1. Bruce Headey
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2. Markus M. Grabka
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Correspondence toBruce Headey.

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Headey, B., Grabka, M.M. Pets and Human Health in Germany and Australia: National Longitudinal Results.Soc Indic Res 80, 297–311 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-5072-z

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• Accepted: 10 November 2005
• Published: 11 May 2006
• Issue Date: January 2007
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-005-5072-z

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