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Research article2018Peer reviewedOpen access

European dog owner perceptions of obesity and factors associated with human and canine obesity

Munoz-Prieto, Alberto; Nielsen, Liza Rosenbaum; Dabrowski, Roman; Bjornvad, Charlotte Reinhard; Soder, Josefin; Lamy, Elsa; Monkeviciene, Ingrida; Ljubic, Blanka Beer; Vasiu, Iosif; Savic, Sara; Busato, Francesca; Yilmaz, Zeki; Bravo-Cantero, Antonio F.; Ohlund, Malin; Lucena, Sonia; Zelvyte, Rasa; Aladrovic, Jasna; Lopez-Jornet, Pia; Caldin, Marco; Lavrador, Catarina;
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Abstract

Obesity is a common nutrition-related disorder leading to reduced life expectancy in both humans and dogs. With the aim of identifying new prevention and control options, the study objectives were (1) to investigate dog-owner perceptions about obesity in terms of themselves and their dogs, and (2) to identify factors associated with obesity and possible social, environmental and economic drivers for its development in dog owners and their pets. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was performed across multiple countries. The questionnaire focused on human and canine obesity, associated factors and potential drivers, and was distributed online and in the form of hard copies among dog owners in 11 European countries. In total, 3,185 responses from ten countries were included in multivariable analyses. Between 19.1% and 48.8% of the dog owners reported to be overweight/obese. Owner-reported overweight/obesity in dogs ranged from 6.0% to 31.3% based on body condition score charts, and 31.8% to 69.4% based on body fat index charts. Common factors associated with obesity in owners and their dogs were age, gender and owners' attitudes to diet and physical activity. Dog owners who did not consider obesity to be a disease were more likely to have obese dogs.

Published in

Scientific Reports
2018, Volume: 8, article number: 13353
Publisher: NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP

    Associated SLU-program

    Human-Animal Interactions

    Sustainable Development Goals

    SDG3 Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

    UKÄ Subject classification

    Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology

    Publication identifier

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-31532-0

    Permanent link to this page (URI)

    https://res.slu.se/id/publ/96482