Beneficial effects of pet ownership on some aspects of human health and behaviour - PubMed (original) (raw)
Comparative Study
Beneficial effects of pet ownership on some aspects of human health and behaviour
J Serpell. J R Soc Med. 1991 Dec.
Abstract
A 10-month prospective study was carried out which examined changes in behaviour and health status in 71 adult subjects following the acquisition of a new pet (either dogs or cats). A group of 26 subjects without pets served as a comparison over the same period. Both pet-owning groups reported a highly significant reduction in minor health problems during the first month following pet acquisition, and this effect was sustained in dog owners through to 10 months. The pet-acquiring groups also showed improvements in their scores on the 30-item General Health Questionnaire over the first 6 months and, in dog owners, this improvement was maintained until 10 months. In addition, dog owners took considerably more physical exercise while walking their dogs than the other two groups, and this effect continued throughout the period of study. The group without pets exhibited no statistically significant changes in health or behaviour, apart from a small increase in recreational walking. The results provide evidence that pet acquisition may have positive effects on human health and behaviour, and that in some cases these effects are relatively long term.
Similar articles
- Influence of companion animals on the physical and psychological health of older people: an analysis of a one-year longitudinal study.
Raina P, Waltner-Toews D, Bonnett B, Woodward C, Abernathy T. Raina P, et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1999 Mar;47(3):323-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1999.tb02996.x. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1999. PMID: 10078895 - Survey to investigate pet ownership and attitudes to pet care in metropolitan Chicago dog and/or cat owners.
Freiwald A, Litster A, Weng HY. Freiwald A, et al. Prev Vet Med. 2014 Aug 1;115(3-4):198-204. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.03.025. Epub 2014 Apr 4. Prev Vet Med. 2014. PMID: 24774476 - Walking the dog: is pet ownership associated with physical activity in California?
Yabroff KR, Troiano RP, Berrigan D. Yabroff KR, et al. J Phys Act Health. 2008 Mar;5(2):216-28. doi: 10.1123/jpah.5.2.216. J Phys Act Health. 2008. PMID: 18382031 - Exploring the differences between pet and non-pet owners: Implications for human-animal interaction research and policy.
Saunders J, Parast L, Babey SH, Miles JV. Saunders J, et al. PLoS One. 2017 Jun 23;12(6):e0179494. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179494. eCollection 2017. PLoS One. 2017. PMID: 28644848 Free PMC article. Review. - Pets and the development of allergic sensitization.
Simpson A, Custovic A. Simpson A, et al. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2005 May;5(3):212-20. doi: 10.1007/s11882-005-0040-x. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2005. PMID: 15842959 Review.
Cited by
- Longitudinal effects of dog ownership, dog acquisition, and dog loss on children's movement behaviours: findings from the PLAYCE cohort study.
Adams EK, Murray K, Trost SG, Christian H. Adams EK, et al. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024 Jan 30;21(1):7. doi: 10.1186/s12966-023-01544-9. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2024. PMID: 38287372 Free PMC article. - The Well-Being of Companion Animal Caregivers and Their Companion Animals during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review.
Brooks SK, Greenberg N. Brooks SK, et al. Animals (Basel). 2023 Oct 22;13(20):3294. doi: 10.3390/ani13203294. Animals (Basel). 2023. PMID: 37894018 Free PMC article. Review. - Pet's influence on humans' daily physical activity and mental health: a meta-analysis.
Martins CF, Soares JP, Cortinhas A, Silva L, Cardoso L, Pires MA, Mota MP. Martins CF, et al. Front Public Health. 2023 May 30;11:1196199. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1196199. eCollection 2023. Front Public Health. 2023. PMID: 37325330 Free PMC article. Review. - The Impact of the Social Determinants of Human Health on Companion Animal Welfare.
McDowall S, Hazel SJ, Chittleborough C, Hamilton-Bruce A, Stuckey R, Howell TJ. McDowall S, et al. Animals (Basel). 2023 Mar 21;13(6):1113. doi: 10.3390/ani13061113. Animals (Basel). 2023. PMID: 36978653 Free PMC article. Review. - Caring for Canines: A Survey of Dog Ownership and Parasite Control Practices in Ireland.
Sherlock C, Holland CV, Keegan JD. Sherlock C, et al. Vet Sci. 2023 Jan 24;10(2):90. doi: 10.3390/vetsci10020090. Vet Sci. 2023. PMID: 36851394 Free PMC article.
References
- Public Health Rep. 1980 Jul-Aug;95(4):307-12 - PubMed
- Public Health Rep. 1982 Jul-Aug;97(4):380-1 - PubMed
- BMJ. 1989 Nov 11;299(6709):1204-5 - PubMed
- BMJ. 1988 Dec 3;297(6661):1441-3 - PubMed
- BMJ. 1988 Dec 3;297(6661):1443-6 - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous