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Association between Early Life Child Development and Family Dog Ownership: A Prospective Birth Cohort Study of the Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Author

Listed:
  • Machiko Minatoya

    (Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan)

  • Atsuko Ikeda-Araki

    (Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan
    Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan)

  • Chihiro Miyashita

    (Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan)

  • Sachiko Itoh

    (Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan)

  • Sumitaka Kobayashi

    (Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan)

  • Keiko Yamazaki

    (Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan)

  • Yu Ait Bamai

    (Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan)

  • Yasuaki Saijo

    (Department of Social Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan)

  • Yukihiro Sato

    (Department of Social Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Asahikawa 078-8510, Japan)

  • Yoshiya Ito

    (Faculty of Nursing, Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing, Kitami 090-0011, Japan)

  • Reiko Kishi

    (Center for Environmental and Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan)

  • The Japan Environment and Children’s Study Group

    (A complete list of the centers and investigators in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study Group is provided in Appendix A.)

Abstract

Pets may play a role in the social-emotional development of children. In particular, some studies have suggested that family dog ownership is associated with better health outcomes. To date, no study has assessed child development in association with dog ownership of different time points. The purpose of the current study was primary to investigate whether “ever” family dog ownership was associated with early child development, and secondary to further examine whether associations between family dog ownership and early child development differ among family dog ownership of status, including “past only”, “current only”, and “always” groups, using the data of family dog ownership obtained at multiple time points. Associations between family dog ownership and infant development at 3 years of age were examined using data from a nationwide prospective birth cohort study, the Japan Environment and Children’s Study ( n = 78,941). “Ever” family dog ownership was categorized to “past only”, “current only”, and “always”. We observed that children with “ever” family dog ownership showed a significantly decreased risk of developmental delay in the communication (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.78, 0.96), gross motor (OR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.76, 0.92), problem-solving (OR = 0.89; 95% CI: 0.83, 0.96) and personal-social (OR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.72, 0.92) domains compared to children with “never” family dog ownership. Furthermore, a significantly decreased risk of developmental delay in gross motor function was observed in association with living with dogs in the “past only” (OR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.95) and “always” (OR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.75, 0.98). In addition, a decreased risk of developmental delay in the problem-solving domain was associated with “past” family dog ownership (OR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.97) and in the personal-social domain was associated with “always” family dog ownership (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.68, 0.95). Given the possible positive association between early life child development and family dog ownership, living with dogs may be an important factor to be considered when assessing child development.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:13:p:7082-:d:587329
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. Carri Westgarth & Jon Heron & Andy R. Ness & Peter Bundred & Rosalind M. Gaskell & Karen P. Coyne & Alexander J. German & Sandra McCune & Susan Dawson, 2010. "Family Pet Ownership during Childhood: Findings from a UK Birth Cohort and Implications for Public Health Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 7(10), pages 1-26, October.
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