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Pet Ownership and Children’s Emotional Expression: Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of Longitudinal Data from Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Rikako Sato

    (Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan)

  • Takeo Fujiwara

    (Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan)

  • Shiho Kino

    (Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, MA, USA)

  • Nobutoshi Nawa

    (Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan)

  • Ichiro Kawachi

    (Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
    Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston 02115, MA, USA)

Abstract

With many children and young adolescents reporting strong emotional bonds with their pets, the impact of pet ownership on child/adolescent health—especially on their emotional development—has garnered increasing scientific interest. We examined the association between pet ownership in toddlerhood (age 3.5 years) and poor emotional expression in later childhood (age 5.5 years) using propensity score matching within a longitudinal cohort dataset from Japan ( n = 31,453). A propensity score for pet ownership was calculated by logistic models based on a comprehensive list of each child’s observed characteristics, including sex, household income, parental education, mother’s employment status, residential environment, number of siblings, and living arrangement. Log-binomial regression analyses using matched samples revealed that children who owned pets during the toddler years were 6% less likely to have a poor emotional expression in later childhood (prevalence ratio = 0.94, 95% confidence interval = 0.90–0.99) compared to those without pets. This suggests that owning pets may provide children with opportunities to control their emotions, and lead to a lower prevalence of poor emotional expression. Pet ownership in toddlerhood may contribute to the development of expression.

Suggested Citation

  • Rikako Sato & Takeo Fujiwara & Shiho Kino & Nobutoshi Nawa & Ichiro Kawachi, 2019. "Pet Ownership and Children’s Emotional Expression: Propensity Score-Matched Analysis of Longitudinal Data from Japan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-12, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:5:p:758-:d:210441
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bruce Headey & Markus Grabka, 2007. "Pets and Human Health in Germany and Australia: National Longitudinal Results," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 80(2), pages 297-311, January.
    2. Rebecca Purewal & Robert Christley & Katarzyna Kordas & Carol Joinson & Kerstin Meints & Nancy Gee & Carri Westgarth, 2017. "Companion Animals and Child/Adolescent Development: A Systematic Review of the Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-25, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Christine Krouzecky & Lisa Emmett & Armin Klaps & Jan Aden & Anastasiya Bunina & Birgit U. Stetina, 2019. "And in the Middle of My Chaos There Was You?—Dog Companionship and Its Impact on the Assessment of Stressful Situations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-12, September.
    2. Kaori Endo & Syudo Yamasaki & Shuntaro Ando & Takefumi Kikusui & Kazutaka Mogi & Miho Nagasawa & Itsuka Kamimura & Junko Ishihara & Miharu Nakanishi & Satoshi Usami & Mariko Hiraiwa-Hasegawa & Kiyoto , 2020. "Dog and Cat Ownership Predicts Adolescents’ Mental Well-Being: A Population-Based Longitudinal Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-11, January.
    3. Machiko Minatoya & Atsuko Ikeda-Araki & Chihiro Miyashita & Sachiko Itoh & Sumitaka Kobayashi & Keiko Yamazaki & Yu Ait Bamai & Yasuaki Saijo & Yukihiro Sato & Yoshiya Ito & Reiko Kishi & The Japan En, 2021. "Association between Early Life Child Development and Family Dog Ownership: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-14, July.
    4. Machiko Minatoya & Atsuko Araki & Chihiro Miyashita & Sachiko Itoh & Sumitaka Kobayashi & Keiko Yamazaki & Yu Ait Bamai & Yasuaki Saijyo & Yoshiya Ito & Reiko Kishi & The Japan Environment and Childre, 2019. "Cat and Dog Ownership in Early Life and Infant Development: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study of Japan Environment and Children’s Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-11, December.

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