Vaduva Flavia M, Rollins Angela, Jugan Maria C, Schermerhorn Thomas, Springer Cary M, Murphy Maryanne
1Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN.
2Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.
J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2025 May 30;263(9):1146-1152. doi: 10.2460/javma.25.03.0177. Print 2025 Sep 1.
To assess and describe pet owners' motivation and decision-making styles related to pet weight loss programs.
The study population consisted of dog and cat owners whose pets were participants in the University of Tennessee's Veterinary Obesity Center (UTVOC) or Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center's Healthy Weight Clinic (KSUHWC), presenting for either initial or recheck appointments. In this prospective study, participants completed an online survey utilizing modified versions of the Situation Motivational Scale (SIMS) and Weight Loss Motivation Questionnaire (WLMQ) to assess motivation and the General Decision-Making Style (GDMS) to assess decision-making styles. The questionnaire was available between January 23, 2024, and June 16, 2024.
There were 53 survey respondents (UTVOC, n = 31; KSUHWC, 22). According to the SIMS results, identified regulation was the most common motivational style, and, according to the GDMS results, rational was the most common decision-making style in our study. The WLMQ revealed that health factors were the most important motivational factors for pet owners, compared to appearance-related factors.
In this study, the most common types of motivation and decision-making styles among pet owners were identified regulation and rational decision-making. The main reason pet owners were motivated to help their pets lose weight was due to concerns about their pet's health.
Clinicians can use the study results to better understand the motivational and decision-making styles of pet owners whose pets are enrolled in weight loss programs. Future directions could assess whether aligning veterinary interactions with pet owners' preferred styles improves weight loss program outcomes.
评估并描述宠物主人与宠物减肥计划相关的动机和决策风格。
研究人群包括狗和猫的主人，他们的宠物是田纳西大学兽医肥胖中心（UTVOC）或堪萨斯州立大学兽医健康中心健康体重诊所（KSUHWC）的参与者，前来进行初次或复查预约。在这项前瞻性研究中，参与者完成了一项在线调查，该调查使用了情境动机量表（SIMS）和减肥动机问卷（WLMQ）的修改版本来评估动机，并使用一般决策风格量表（GDMS）来评估决策风格。该问卷于2024年1月23日至2024年6月16日期间可用。
共有53名受访者（UTVOC，n = 31；KSUHWC，22）。根据SIMS结果，识别性调节是最常见的动机风格，根据GDMS结果，理性是我们研究中最常见的决策风格。WLMQ显示，与外貌相关因素相比，健康因素是宠物主人最重要的动机因素。
在本研究中，宠物主人中最常见的动机和决策风格类型是识别性调节和理性决策。宠物主人促使其宠物减肥的主要原因是担心宠物的健康。
临床医生可以利用研究结果更好地了解参与减肥计划的宠物主人的动机和决策风格。未来的方向可以评估使兽医与宠物主人偏好的风格保持一致是否能改善减肥计划的效果。
