Pets and Human Health in Germany and Australia: National Longitudinal Results

Artikel

The German and Australian longitudinal surveys analysed here are the first national representative surveys to show that (1) people who continuously own a pet are the healthiest group and (2) people who cease to have a pet or never had one are less healthy. Most previous studies which have claimed that pets confer health benefits were cross-sectional. So they were open to the objection that owners may have been healthier in the first place, rather than becoming healthier due to owning a pet. In both countries the data show that pet owners make about 15% fewer annual doctor visits than non-owners. The relationship remains statistically significant after controlling for gender, age, marital status, income and other variables associated with health. The German data come from the German Socio-Economic Panel in which respondents have been interviewed every year since 1984 (N = 9723). Australian data come from the Australian National Social Science Survey 2001 (N = 1246).

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Journal: Social Indicators Research ; ISSN: 0303-8300 ; Volume: 80 ; Year: 2007 ; Pages: 297-311 ; Berlin and Heidelberg: Springer

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft
• Subject: doctor visits ; health ; panel surveys ; pet owners ; Gesundheit ; Gesundheitskosten ; Panel ; Deutschland ; Australien

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Headey, Bruce ; Grabka, Markus M.
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Springer ; ZBW - Deutsche Zentralbibliothek für Wirtschaftswissenschaften, Leibniz-Informationszentrum Wirtschaft
• (where): Berlin, Heidelberg
• (when): 2007-01

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.1007/s11205-005-5072-z
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/66146
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET