Department of Environmental and Cultural Resources, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
Yuansheng Elementary School, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Front Public Health. 2024 Oct 21;12:1431939. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1431939. eCollection 2024.
This study investigated the associations between pet-ownership on nature engagement, interpersonal relationships, and well-being among 471 Taiwanese children aged 11-12, across different genders. The findings revealed that interactions with pets, primarily in the form of caregiving, enhanced empathy toward nature, notably among female participants from various racial and ethnic backgrounds, although direct contact with nature was generally limited. In terms of interpersonal relationships, family bonds were significant, with boys reporting stronger connections. Children who had previously or were currently owning pets displayed increased empathy toward the natural environment. The study highlighted a significant predictive relationship between children's connection to nature and their development of interpersonal relationships, with peer relationships being particularly influential in predicting children's well-being. These results underscored the importance of pet caregiving and peer interactions in the emotional and social development of children.
本研究调查了宠物拥有情况与自然参与、人际关系和幸福感之间的关系，对象为 471 名 11-12 岁的台湾儿童，涵盖不同性别。研究结果表明，与宠物的互动，主要是照顾宠物，增强了对自然的同理心，尤其是在不同种族和族裔背景的女性参与者中，尽管与自然的直接接触通常受到限制。在人际关系方面，家庭关系很重要，男孩报告的联系更紧密。曾经或目前拥有宠物的儿童对自然环境表现出更强的同理心。研究强调了儿童与自然的联系与他们人际关系发展之间存在显著的预测关系，同伴关系对预测儿童的幸福感尤为重要。这些结果强调了宠物照顾和同伴互动在儿童情感和社交发展中的重要性。
