Hall Sophie S, MacMichael Jessica, Turner Amy, Mills Daniel S
University of Lincoln, School of Life Sciences, Lincoln, UK.
Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2017 Mar 29;15(1):59. doi: 10.1186/s12955-017-0640-x.
Quality of life refers to a person's experienced standard of health, comfort and happiness and is typically measured using subjective self-report scales. Despite increasing scientific interest in the value of dogs to human health and the growing demand for trained service dogs, to date no research has reported how service dogs may affect client perceptions of quality of life.
We compared quality of life scores on the 16 item Flanagan quality of life scale from individuals who owned a trained service dog with those who were eligible to receive a dog, but did not yet have one (waiting list control). Data were analysed separately from two groups; those with a service dog trained for individuals with physical disabilities (with physical service dog: n = 72; waiting for a service dog: n = 24; recruited from Dogs for Good database) and those with a hearing service dog (with hearing service dog = 111; waiting for a service dog = 30; recruited from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People database).
When controlling for age and gender individuals scored higher on total quality of life scores if they owned a service dog or a hearing service dog, but this was only statistically significant for those with a service dog. Both groups (physical service dog and hearing service dog) scored significantly higher on items relating to health, working, learning and independence if they owned a service dog, in comparison to those on the waiting list. Those with a physical service dog also scored significantly higher on items relating to recreational activities (including items relating to reading/listening to music, socialising, creative expression), and those involving social interactions (including items relating to participating in organisations, socialising, relationship with relatives). Additionally, those with a physical service dog scored higher on understanding yourself and material comforts than those on the waiting list control. In contrast, those with a hearing service dog appeared to receive fewer benefits on items relating to social activities.
Owning a service dog can bring significant specific and potentially general benefits to the quality of life of individuals with physical disabilities and hearing impairments. These benefits may have considerable implications for individuals with disabilities, society and the economy by promoting independence, learning and working abilities.
生活质量指的是一个人所体验到的健康、舒适和幸福水平，通常使用主观自评量表来衡量。尽管科学界对狗对人类健康的价值兴趣日增，对训练有素的服务犬的需求也不断上升，但迄今为止，尚无研究报告服务犬如何影响客户对生活质量的认知。
我们比较了拥有训练有素的服务犬的个体与有资格获得服务犬但尚未拥有的个体（候补名单对照组）在16项弗拉纳根生活质量量表上的生活质量得分。数据分别从两组进行分析；一组是为身体残疾人士训练服务犬的个体（拥有身体服务犬的个体：n = 72；等待服务犬的个体：n = 24；从“善犬”数据库招募），另一组是拥有听力服务犬的个体（拥有听力服务犬的个体 = 111；等待服务犬的个体 = 30；从“聋人听力犬”数据库招募）。
在控制年龄和性别后，如果拥有服务犬或听力服务犬，个体在总体生活质量得分上更高，但这仅在拥有服务犬组中具有统计学意义。与候补名单上的个体相比，两组（身体服务犬组和听力服务犬组）在拥有服务犬时，在与健康、工作、学习和独立性相关的项目上得分显著更高。拥有身体服务犬的个体在与娱乐活动相关的项目（包括与阅读/听音乐、社交、创造性表达相关的项目）以及涉及社交互动的项目（包括与参与组织、社交、与亲属关系相关的项目）上得分也显著更高。此外，拥有身体服务犬的个体在自我认知和物质舒适度方面的得分高于候补名单对照组。相比之下，拥有听力服务犬的个体在与社交活动相关的项目上获得的益处似乎较少。
拥有服务犬可以给身体残疾和听力受损的个体的生活质量带来显著的特定益处以及潜在的普遍益处。这些益处通过促进独立性、学习和工作能力，可能对残疾人士、社会和经济产生重大影响。
