Graduate School of Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Department of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
PLoS One. 2021 Sep 30;16(9):e0258034. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258034. eCollection 2021.
This study aimed to analyze the association between companion animal ownership, the sub-factors of this ownership (the species and number of owned pets), and overall life satisfaction (OLS). Data was obtained from the publicly available responses to the 2017 Seoul Survey, conducted among Seoul-based Korean locals aged ≥ 15 years (N = 42,687; pet owners = 8,708, non-owners = 33,979). Propensity score was calculated by performing logistic regressions with covariates and data was matched using the nearest-neighbor method. Further, multiple linear regression was performed to analyze this association using the matched data. Additionally, survey-weighted multiple regressions were performed: 1) within pet owners, and 2) after stratifying owners with the number of pets owned. Pet owners in Seoul, South Korea reported higher levels of OLS than non-owners, even after controlling for covariates-age, sex, marital status, family size, family income, job, education, types of housing, housing tenure. Owners with both dogs and cats showed the highest average OLS scores (owners with 2 pets: Mean [M] = 58.05, Standard Deviation [SD] = 0.67; owners with ≥ 3 pets: M = 59.03, SD = 1.02), followed by single pet owners of either a cat (M = 56.64, SD = 0.37) or a dog (M = 56.14, SD = 0.13). Single pet owners reported significantly higher levels of OLS than those with 2 or ≥ 3 pets when pet types were adjusted for. When owners had a single pet, pet types (dog or cat) did not generate a significant difference in OLS scores. Among owners with 2 or ≥ 3 pets, however, owners with both dogs and cats had higher OLS scores than dog owners. This research has significant implications for promoting future study on companion animal effects for improving human health and well-being. Mechanisms of the effect, including cultural factors, should be further investigated.
本研究旨在分析伴侣动物拥有情况及其子因素(拥有宠物的种类和数量)与总体生活满意度(OLS)之间的关联。数据来自公开的 2017 年首尔调查,该调查在首尔的≥15 岁韩国本地人中进行(N=42687;宠物主人=8708,非主人=33979)。采用协变量的逻辑回归计算倾向评分,并采用最近邻法进行数据匹配。进一步,使用匹配数据进行多元线性回归分析这种关联。此外,还进行了调查加权多元回归分析:1)在宠物主人中,2)在按拥有宠物数量分层后的主人中。韩国首尔的宠物主人报告的 OLS 水平高于非主人,即使在控制了协变量(年龄、性别、婚姻状况、家庭规模、家庭收入、工作、教育、住房类型、住房期限)后也是如此。同时拥有狗和猫的主人报告的平均 OLS 得分最高(拥有 2 只宠物的主人:均值[M]=58.05,标准差[SD]=0.67;拥有≥3 只宠物的主人:M=59.03,SD=1.02),其次是只养了一只猫(M=56.64,SD=0.37)或狗(M=56.14,SD=0.13)的单一宠物主人。在调整宠物类型后,只养了一只宠物的主人报告的 OLS 水平明显高于养了 2 只或≥3 只宠物的主人。当主人只有一只宠物时,宠物类型(狗或猫)对 OLS 得分没有显著差异。然而,在拥有 2 只或≥3 只宠物的主人中,同时拥有狗和猫的主人的 OLS 得分高于只养狗的主人。这项研究对于促进未来关于伴侣动物对人类健康和福祉影响的研究具有重要意义。应进一步研究包括文化因素在内的作用机制。