Health Perceptions and Levels of Attachment: Owners and Pets Exercising Together

Stephens, Mark B.; Wilson, Cindy C.; Goodie, Jeffrey L.; Netting, F. Ellen; Olsen, Cara; Byers, Christopher G.

doi:10.3122/jabfm.2012.06.110325

Cited by 18 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The mechanism behind this association is unknown, but it has been speculated that pet dogs may serve as a surrogate support network for their owners, particularly when owners have less perceived peer social support. (Stephens et al, 2012) Child obesity has been associated with numerous mental health concerns as well as a social stigma, which is consistent with the findings in this and other studies where overweight/obese children report less perceived social support from peers. However, because dog attachment was also measured in the same population, this study highlights a potential mechanism that explains a higher dog attachment in overweight/obese children, in which dogs could be taking the place of peer social support due to the unconditional love from dogs that children report.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

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Dog attachment and perceived social support in overweight/obese and healthy weight children

Linder

Noubary

Nelson

et al. 2017

Preventive Medicine Reports

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The development of effective and sustainable interventions to treat childhood obesity remains both a priority and a challenge. Previous studies support that dogs provide social support in overweight adults in obesity interventions, but the child-dog relationship is not as well understood. The goal of the study was to examine the child-dog relationship among children to inform novel childhood obesity interventions including dogs. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Living Laboratory® at the Museum of Science, Boston in 2015. Children aged 8–13, with a dog in the household, answered surveys on pet attachment (Pet Relationship Scale), perceived social support from parents and close friends (Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale), and had a height and weight measurement taken for calculation of body mass index percentile. Overweight and obese children (≥ 85th body mass index percentile) had greater mean attachment score to their dog and less mean perceived social support from their parents and friends combined compared to healthy weight children (73.1 ± 5.6 vs. 68.5 ± 7.2, p = 0.037; 110.5 ± 13.5 vs. 122.9 ± 14.8, p = 0.015, respectively; n = 43). In conclusions, children who are overweight/obese report greater mean dog attachment and lower mean perceived social support, supporting the concept that pet dogs are considered part of overweight/obese children's social support networks. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the impact of including pet dogs as additional health support in child obesity interventions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…One study found that increasing body mass index (BMI) is associated with greater pet attachment and less perceived social support. (Stephens et al, 2012) However, this has not been studied in overweight children. More in-depth knowledge is needed to understand this relationship in children, especially children who are overweight/obese.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dog attachment and perceived social support in overweight/obese and healthy weight children

Linder

Noubary

Nelson

et al. 2017

Preventive Medicine Reports

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“…For example, in a nationwide sample of older adults, strong pet attachment was associated with less depression among those who recently experienced a death in the family (Garrity et al, 1989). Furthermore, in a sample of dog owners, pet attachment was associated with owner weight status and owner perceptions of human social support (Stephens et al, 2012).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 98%

Evaluation of the Dogs, Physical Activity, and Walking (Dogs PAW) Intervention

2016

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“…The initial triglyceride level was 152.14 mg/dL (SD = 168.22) in the PA group (n = 22) and 161.88 mg/dL (SD = 1224.71) in the SC group (n = 8); the post-intervention triglyceride level was 180 mg/dL (SD = 260.79) in the PA group and 115.13 mg/dL (SD = 87.87) in the SC group. Other outcome measures have been reported elsewhere (Stephens et al 2012;Netting et al in press).…”

Section: Dog Owner Outcome Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Owners and Pets Exercising Together: Canine Response to Veterinarian-Prescribed Physical Activity

et al. 2014

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Using a prospective, randomized, single-blinded clinical design, we enrolled dog owners (DOs) and their dogs presenting to a veterinary referral hospital in a two-phase trial to determine whether veterinarian-initiated counseling increases physical activity and leads to secondary health benefits for DOs and their dogs. In Phase I, self-reported health measures, height, and weight were assessed for DOs. Body condition scores (BCS) for their dogs were also determined. Owners of overweight and obese dogs (BCS > 6) were recruited for Phase II in which a baseline serum biochemical profile was obtained for DOs and dogs. Participants were randomly assigned to either a physical activity (PA) or standard care (SC) group. All DOs were provided a pedometer to determine their baseline daily step count. The PA group was counseled by a veterinarian using a standard scripted handout to encourage increased physical activity with their dogs. The veterinarian also reviewed common barriers to activity, encouraged increased levels of physical activity, and delivered a specific exercise prescription for the dog. The stated goal was for the DO to spend at least 30 minutes a day engaged in physical activity with their dog. All owners and dogs returned in three months, and biochemical and anthropometric measurements were taken again. Seventy-five DOs completed Phase I. At the completion of Phase I, 46 DOs enrolled in Phase II. Of these, 32 completed all required elements. For all participants with complete Phase I and Phase II data, there was a significant reduction in mean BCS (6.7 to 6.4; t (31) = 2.88, p = 0.007). BCS and weight decreased similarly in both groups. Glucose increased over time in the SC group but not in the PA group, yielding a significant mean group difference at followup (113 mg/dL vs. 103 mg/dL; p = 0.01). Based on our findings, both groups 325 Anthrozoös

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Health Perceptions and Levels of Attachment: Owners and Pets Exercising Together

Cited by 18 publications

References 9 publications

Dog attachment and perceived social support in overweight/obese and healthy weight children

Dog attachment and perceived social support in overweight/obese and healthy weight children

Evaluation of the Dogs, Physical Activity, and Walking (Dogs PAW) Intervention

Owners and Pets Exercising Together: Canine Response to Veterinarian-Prescribed Physical Activity

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