Veterinary Department, Cats Protection, National Cat Centre, Haywards Heath, United Kingdom.
Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2022 Feb 9;17(2):e0263353. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263353. eCollection 2022.
In the UK, it is currently recommended that owned cats be neutered from four months of age. However, its uptake is inconsistent across the veterinary profession. Here we assess the effect of a brief video intervention that aimed to encourage four month neutering, whilst preserving clinical autonomy. We compare this theory-driven approach with traditional information giving and a control group. Veterinary surgeons who regularly undertook feline neutering work in the UK but did not routinely neuter cats at four months and/or recommend four month neutering for client owned cats were randomised into three groups (n = 234). Participants received either no information, a written summary of evidence or the video. The primary behaviour outcomes were the recommending and carrying out of neutering cats at four months. Evaluative, belief and stages of change measures were also collected. Self-reported outcomes were assessed pre-intervention, immediately post-intervention, two months post-intervention and six months post-intervention. At two months, participants that had received the video intervention were significantly more likely to have started recommending neutering cats at four months. At six months, participants that had received the video intervention were significantly more likely to have started carrying out neutering cats at four months. There were no significant behaviour changes for the other groups. At two months, the video intervention was associated with a significant increase in thinking about, and speaking to colleagues about, four-month neutering, relative to the control group. The written summary of evidence had no similar effect on stages of change, despite it being perceived as a significantly more helpful resource relative to the video. To conclude, a brief one-off video intervention resulted in an increase in positive behaviours towards neutering cats at 4 months, likely mediated by the social influences of the intervention prompting the opportunity to reflect and discuss four-month neutering with colleagues.
在英国，目前建议从四个月大开始给家养猫做绝育。然而，兽医界对这一建议的接受程度并不一致。在这里，我们评估了一项简短视频干预措施的效果，该措施旨在鼓励在四个月大时进行绝育，同时保留临床自主权。我们将这种基于理论的方法与传统的信息提供方法和对照组进行了比较。经常在英国进行猫绝育工作但不常规在四个月大时给猫绝育和/或不建议客户的猫在四个月大时进行绝育的兽医被随机分为三组（n = 234）。参与者分别接受了无信息、证据摘要或视频。主要行为结果是在四个月大时建议和进行绝育。还收集了评估、信念和改变阶段的措施。自我报告的结果在干预前、干预后立即、两个月后和六个月后进行评估。在两个月时，接受视频干预的参与者更有可能开始建议在四个月大时给猫绝育。在六个月时，接受视频干预的参与者更有可能开始在四个月大时对猫进行绝育。其他组没有明显的行为变化。在两个月时，与对照组相比，视频干预与更多地考虑和与同事讨论四个月大的绝育相关联。证据摘要并没有对改变阶段产生类似的影响，尽管它被认为是比视频更有帮助的资源。总之，一次性简短的视频干预措施增加了在四个月大时对猫进行绝育的积极行为，这可能是由于干预的社会影响促使兽医有机会与同事一起反思和讨论四个月大的绝育。
