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

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Alberto Muñoz-Prieto
  • Roman Dąbrowski
  • Josefin Söder
  • Elsa Lamy
  • Ingrida Monkeviciene
  • Blanka Beer Ljubić
  • Iosif Vasiu
  • Sara Savic
  • Francesca Busato
  • Zeki Yilmaz
  • Antonio F. Bravo-Cantero
  • Malin Öhlund
  • Sónia Lucena
  • Rasa Zelvyte
  • Jasna Aladrović
  • Pia Lopez-Jornet
  • Marco Caldin
  • Catarina Lavrador
  • Birute Karveliene
  • Vladimir Mrljak
  • Jovita Mazeikiene
  • Asta Tvarijonaviciute

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.

Original languageEnglish
Article number13353
JournalScientific Reports
Volume8
Issue number1
Number of pages10
ISSN2045-2322
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

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