Barker Sandra B, Wolen Aaron R
The School of Medicine Center for Human-Animal Interaction, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
J Vet Med Educ. 2008 Winter;35(4):487-95. doi: 10.3138/jvme.35.4.487.
This article provides a review of research published since 1980 on the benefits of human-companion animal interaction. Studies focusing on the benefits of pet ownership are presented first, followed by research on the benefits of interacting with companion animals that are not owned by the subject (animal-assisted activities). While most of the published studies are descriptive and have been conducted with convenience samples, a promising number of controlled studies support the health benefits of interacting with companion animals. Future research employing more rigorous designs and systematically building upon a clearly defined line of inquiry is needed to advance our knowledge of the benefits of human-companion animal interaction.
本文综述了自1980年以来发表的关于人类与伴侣动物互动益处的研究。首先介绍了关注养宠物益处的研究,其次是关于与非研究对象所拥有的伴侣动物互动益处的研究(动物辅助活动)。虽然大多数已发表的研究都是描述性的,且采用的是便利样本,但有相当数量的对照研究支持了与伴侣动物互动对健康有益的观点。未来需要采用更严谨的设计,并在明确界定的研究方向上系统地开展研究,以增进我们对人类与伴侣动物互动益处的了解。