The pet connection: pets as a conduit for social capital?
Lisa Wood, Billie Giles-Corti, Max Bulsara; School of Population Health, The University of Western AustraliaSocial Science and Medicine 61 (2005) 1159-1173
theoretical variations (
Wall, Ferrazzi, & Schryer, 1998
There is growing interest across a range of disciplines in the
relationship between pets and health, with a range of therapeutic,
physiological, psychological and psychosocial benefits now documented. While
much of the literature has focused on the individual benefits of pet ownership,
this study considered the potential health benefits that might accrue to the
broader community, as encapsulated in the construct of social capital. A random
survey of 339 adult residents from Perth, Western Australia were selected from
three suburbs and interviewed by telephone. Pet ownership was found to be
positively associated with some forms of social contact and interaction, and
with perceptions of neighbourhood friendliness. After adjustment for
demographic variables, pet owners scored higher on social capital and civic
engagement scales. The results suggest that pet ownership provides potential
opportunities for interactions between neighbours and that further research in
this area is warranted. Social capital is another potential mechanism by which
pets exert an influence on human health.
r 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Pets; Social capital; Health; Community; Sense of community; Australia
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