Pet owners 'unhealthier'
Wednesday, 27 Dec 2006 18:05
Would dog owners trade their pets for good health?
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Owning a pet does not guarantee good health or an active lifestyle, researchers have found.
A study conducted by scientists from the University of Turku in Finland found that animal lovers of working age have a slightly larger body mass index (BMI) than those who own pets, despite the commonly held belief that those owning pets are healthier than others.
Instead pet owners are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, diabetes, ulcers, sciatica, migraines, depression and panic attacks – far from a clean bill of health.
"Pet ownership was very lightly associated with poor health in the general working-aged population when using several health and disease indicators," the study concludes.
"Although pets are expected to have propitious value in real life, the traditional health indicators will not coach it out."
Rather than the pet itself being the cause of the owner's relative unhealthiness, the researchers attribute the difference to the demographic background of those who are more likely to own a pet.
Dog, cat and other animal fans are more likely to be middle-aged, have a lower level of education and live in rural environments. They are also more likely to live an unstable life and be single, the study found.