Pets’ impact on people`s well-being in COVID-19: A quantitative study

Kuehne, Jane; Lieu, Jenai; Kotera, Yasuhiro; Taylor, Elaina

Abstract

Introduction: The global coronavirus pandemic and the governmental restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading have generated anxiety, impacting people’s well-being. Former research suggested a positive impact of pets on their owner’s well-being, however little research has been conducted within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in which isolation measures and restrictions were implemented in many countries. Objective: This cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate the influence of pets on people’s well-being, social connectedness, coronavirus anxiety, and the relationship of pet attachment on well-being during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Participants (N=72) were opportunistically recruited online across several countries. Data was analyzed using a MANOVA and linear regression. Results: The results indicated that there were no significant differences between pet owners and non-pet owners in terms of well-being, social connectedness, and coronavirus anxiety. Furthermore, a statistically significant relationship between higher pet attachment and greater well-being was not found. Implications: Future research should focus on greater sample sizes and longitudinal data, with a focus on how pet-related interventions may improve well-being.

Citation

Kuehne, J., Lieu, J., Kotera, Y., & Taylor, E. (2022). Pets’ impact on people`s well-being in COVID-19: A quantitative study. Journal of Concurrent Disorders, https://doi.org/10.54127/FABB9024

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 23, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Sep 19, 2022
• Publication Date: Sep 19, 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 18, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 18, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Concurrent Disorders
• Electronic ISSN: 2562-7546
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.54127/FABB9024
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/12613389
• Publisher URL: https://cdspress.ca/?p=6777