Companion animals and child development outcomes: longitudinal and cross-sectional analysis of a UK birth cohort study
Using a large, well-designed longitudinal study and adjusting for key confounders, we found little evidence of cross-sectional or longitudinal associations between pet ownership and emotional health or cognitive outcomes in children. There may, however, be some cross-sectional and longitudinal association with poorer educational attainment and a positive impact on social interactions as seen through associations with enhanced language development and prosocial behaviour. This study demonstrates the importance of adjustment for confounding variables and suggests that, contrary to popular belief, positive impacts of pet ownership on childhood development may be mainly limited to social behaviour and language development.
Authors
- Robert Christley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9250-3032)
- Kerstin Meints (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1048-5091)
- Rebecca Purewal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1580-1583)
- Katarzyna Kordas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9243-5305)
- Carri Westgarth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0471-2761)
- Nancy R. Gee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2890-9884)
- Carol Joinson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5651-097X)
Institutions
- University of Liverpool (GB)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (US)
- University of Bristol (GB)
- University of Lincoln (GB)
- University at Buffalo, State University of New York (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Pediatrics
- Published
- 2024-09-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12887-024-05049-7
- Citations
- 6
- Primary Topic
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.30
Funders
- University of Bristol
- Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition
- Medical Research Council