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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1996

The effects of ownership and ownership change on nursing home industry costs.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the effects of ownership type and ownership change on nursing home cost structures, differentiating patient care costs from plant costs. DATA SOURCES: Administrative data from the Michigan Department of Social Services, Medical Services Administration (Medicaid), and the Michigan Department of Public Health are used. Cost data are based on audited cost reports for 393 nursing care facilities in Michigan in 1989. Other facility characteristics are based on data from the 1989 annual licensing and certification survey conducted by the Michigan Department of Public Health. STUDY DESIGN: A series of ordinary least squares regressions is estimated, in which the dependent variable is either per diem patient costs or per diem plant costs. Ownership types are defined as chain, proprietary non-chain, freestanding non-profit, government-owned, and hospital-based facilities. Pooled estimation techniques, as well as separate regressions by ownership type, are presented to test for interaction effects. Key variables include whether a facility changed ownership in the preceding five years and whether chain facilities are in-state- or out-of-state-owned, in addition to size, payer mix, and case mix. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Behavioral differences among nursing home ownership types in respect to patient care costs tended to distinguish government-owned and hospital-based facilities from the freestanding homes rather than the usual distinction between for-profit and not-for-profit classes. Variables traditionally included in nursing home cost studies, such as size, occupancy, payer mix and case mix, were found to have similar effects on per diem patient care costs for freestanding non-profit homes as well as for chain proprietary facilities. With regard to the effects of ownership change on per diem plant and per diem patient costs, however, there are few differences among ownership types. Chain and non-chain for-profit facilities, non-profit homes, and hospital long-term care units that had changed ownership reported significantly higher per diem plant costs than facilities without a change of ownership, but did not spend more on patient-related costs. Michigan Medicaid plant reimbursement system policy changes instituted in 1985 to promote continued ownership of facilities were not entirely successful. CONCLUSIONS: Non-profit homes look increasingly like their for-profit counterparts with respect to spending on patient care costs. Increased competition for the more lucrative private-pay patients, coupled with declining state Medicaid reimbursement to nursing homes, may have blurred the historical distinctions between the non-profit and for-profit sectors in the nursing home industry. An exception to increasing homogeneity within the nursing home industry is the tendency of proprietary homes to experience more frequent changes of ownership, which results in higher capital costs passed on to state Medicaid programs. Findings from this study indicate that while facility sales increase per diem plant costs, they do not result in increased spending for direct patient care, suggesting that state Medicaid programs may be indirectly subsidizing facility sales with no accompanying increase in expenditures for patient care. To discourage frequent facility sales, state Medicaid programs may need to consider alternative methods of reimbursing nursing home owners for capital costs.

Capital Expenditures↗

PubMed2005

The ownership elephant: ownership and community-governance in primary care.

Ownership of primary care is an often neglected but important health systems design parameter. The New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy has established Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) as non-profit umbrella organisations, however in most instances their constituent general practices are for-profit small businesses. This viewpoint paper aims to: (a) define ownership and community participation; (b) summarise some of the evidence from the NatMedCa study pertaining to ownership-related differences; and (c) discuss the policy implications of different ownership forms in primary care, and the implications of merging different ownership forms under the umbrella of PHOs. Ownership confers governance responsibility (ultimate control) for an organisation, and accountability for its actions. Community governance involves vesting overall control of resources in users and the community, rather than with health service managers or health professionals. Results from three studies using the NatMedCa survey indicate that community-governed non-profits in New Zealand differ in a number of respects from their for-profit counterparts. As non-profit and for-profit ownership forms have different social roles, and as meaningful community participation in governance is determined in large part by ownership structures, there is a need for ownership frameworks to be used more widely in health policy making. Because of the ownership boundary that exists between non-profit community-governed PHOs and their constituent for-profit general practices PHOs may have little real ability to effectively govern their practices.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

PubMed1987

Hospital ownership and psychiatric services. Implications of ownership and reimbursement changes on lengths of stay and availability of services.

Dramatic increases have occurred in the proportion of for-profit hospitals in the general hospital sector; even more pronounced increases have occurred within the psychiatric sector. Concomitant with this changing mix of ownerships, revised reimbursement plans are being proposed for psychiatry. Thus, providers of acute psychiatric inpatient care, although loosely aggregated, constitute a service system that is experiencing dynamic revision. This article examines the implications of these changes for health policy analysts and planners in the design of hospital payment mechanisms and in planning for resources to meet the needs of the public. The state of California is viewed as a system, and data from the state are examined to test traditional assumptions of economic behavior when less costly substitute services are available. The availability of services such as outpatient clinics, emergency psychiatric services, and partial hospitalization are found to vary according to hospital ownership. Differences in availability of these services influence the access to inpatient care experienced by various populations within the defined system. Although these services may permit earlier discharge from the hospital, the poor insurance coverage of ambulatory psychiatric care relative to inpatient hospitalization distorts this effect. The implications of these findings for public policy are discussed.

California↗

PubMed2000

Hospital ownership, performance, and outcomes: assessing the state-of-the-science.

OBJECTIVE: This study 1) identified the research evidence; 2) assessed the state-of-the-science surrounding hospital ownership, performance, and outcomes in acute care hospitals in the United States; and 3) identified measurable components of hospital performance and outcomes for the organization, patient, and community. BACKGROUND: As the size of the nonprofit sector decreases and the size of the for-profit sector increases, hospital ownership warrants examination. Most research has focused on either ownership and performance or ownership and outcomes, rather than the potential interaction of all three variables. METHODS: A comprehensive, computerized search of the healthcare research literature yielded 69 data-based references published between 1985 and 1999. Coding sheets were developed to abstract the articles. Analysis involved synthesizing the research evidence for each of the three major variables and their components. RESULTS: Hospital ownership has an impact on hospital performance in relation to system operations; costs, prices, and financial management practices; and personnel issues. Organizational outcomes are similar among hospital ownership types in relation to increasing administrative costs and overall mediocre efficiency. Organizational outcomes differ among hospital ownership types in relation to nursing staff mix and professional satisfaction. The association of hospital ownership with patient outcomes varies depending on the dimension measured. The evidence is mixed or inconclusive regarding hospital ownership and access to care, morbidity, and mortality. The association of hospital ownership and adverse events is consistently supported. Hospital ownership status has an impact on the type and magnitude of community benefits. Differences among the three hospital ownership types are minimized in a competitive market. CONCLUSIONS: This study reinforces the position that nurse researchers need to include hospital ownership as an important structural variable in their studies of hospital-based nursing. Examining the conceptual links between ownership, performance, and outcomes requires the integration of macro-level and micro-level theory.

Community-Institutional Relations↗

PubMed1996

Effect of a state law on reported bicycle helmet ownership and use.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a state law on reported bicycle helmet ownership and use. DESIGN: Multistage cluster random-digit-dialing telephone survey. SETTING: Georgia, June through November 1993. PARTICIPANTS: Adults who reported the behavior of bicyclists 4 through 15 years old. INTERVENTION: State law mandating helmet use after July 1, 1993, for all bicyclists aged younger than 16 years. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Bicycle helmet ownership and use. RESULTS: Reported helmet ownership increased from 39% before the law took effect to 57% afterward (+ 46%, P = .06). Reported use increased from 33% before to 52% afterward (+ 58%, P < .05). About 7% of riders changed from "never-wearing" to "always-wearing" behavior. After the law took effect, in those households in which the law was known, 69% of riders owned and 64% used a helmet. By comparison, in those households in which the law was not known, only 30% owned and 25% used a helmet (P < .01). Reported ownership and use were 93% concordant, inversely related to rider age, and directly related to household income. Multivariable analysis indicated that race was an effect modifier of reported helmet ownership and use. In black riders, knowledge of the law appeared to be highly associated with both reported helmet ownership and use but was not significant in white riders. In white riders, though age and income were significantly associated with reported helmet ownership and use. CONCLUSIONS: This law appeared important in increasing reported helmet ownership and use, particularly in black riders. Since knowledge of the law was associated with increased ownership and use, additional publicity about the law might further increase helmet use. Because most riders who owned helmets used them, give-away programs targeting areas of low ownership may also increase use.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Firearm ownership in households with children.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Increased morbidity and mortality rates in children injured by firearms has been well documented during this past decade. The aim of this study was to determine the socioeconomic factors affecting firearm ownership in families with children living in suburban/rural versus inner-city environments, and to identify predictors of firearm ownership in these families. METHODS: Parents of children less than 19 years old seen in a suburban (n = 751) or inner-city hospital (n = 406) anonymously completed a questionnaire regarding firearm ownership. RESULTS: Firearm ownership was 54% in rural locations, versus 18% among inner-city residents (P< .05). Firearm ownership in white households was 45% versus 20% in African-American households (P< .05). Mean number of all types of firearms in white households was 3.38 versus 1.78 in black households (P< .001). Firearm ownership was 19% in the less than $20,000 income bracket, significantly lower than households with greater incomes, and was significantly lower in households in which parents had the least education (19.7%) versus those with college degrees (38.5%; P< .05). Firearm owners of rifles and shotguns significantly more often cited hunting, collection, and target shooting as reasons for owning firearms, in contrast to revolver owners who cited protection and collection as reasons for firearm ownership (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Firearm ownership is higher in rural, caucasian versus inner-city African-American residents and is significantly less in households with lower income and educational levels. Significant predictors for firearm ownership were number of parents in households, educational level of parents, and population of residence.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

A case for government ownership of primary care services in New Zealand: weighing the arguments.

Primary care services provide continuing and coordinating care, cater to most health care needs, and serve as a point of first contact with the health system. This article addresses the issue of government ownership of primary care. Ownership confers governance responsibility (ultimate control) for an organization, and accountability for its actions. Primary care organizations can be classed as government owned and operated or privately owned and operated, the latter with or without community governance. The authors address two policy questions: Does the ownership form of a primary care organization matter? What ownership frameworks should be used to guide policymaking? Arguments for and against government ownership are examined from political and economic perspectives, informed by a governance framework. Government ownership of primary care may solve problems associated with private for-profit ownership that are related to lack of control of strategic assets, lack of direct political accountability, contracting, and market failure, but it may raise potential problems of lack of responsiveness to minority and local needs and capture by interest groups. In response to the problems associated with government ownership, community-governed private nonprofits have an essential role as a vehicle for indigenous self-determination, catering for minority populations, experimenting with policy options, and providing public goods particularly for minority populations. The authors argue that private organizations that lack community governance have a lesser role.

Community Participation↗

PubMed2005

"Early" cat ownership and the risk of sensitization and allergic rhinitis in Ligurian children with respiratory symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Studies on the role of cat ownership in the development of allergy have lead to conflicting results, probably owing to heterogeneity of the populations evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the possible effect of cat ownership on the frequency of sensitization and asthma or rhinitis in children living in Liguria, Italy, who attended a pediatric clinic for respiratory symptoms. METHODS: We enrolled 269 consecutive school-aged children in 12 months. Sensitization to aeroallergens by skin prick testing and the presence of respiratory symptoms (ie, asthma and rhinitis) were evaluated. To analyze the role of different independent variables in association with respiratory symptoms and sensitization, a multiple logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Of 269 children, 81 were exposed to cats at home in the first 2 years of life ("early" cat owners), 65 after the first 2 years of life ("late" cat owners), and 123 never ("never" cat owners). Early cat ownership was significantly associated with a lower risk of cat sensitization compared with never cat ownership (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj], 0.32; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.14-0.74; P = .01). Early cat ownership was also associated with a significantly lower risk of allergic rhinitis than late cat ownership (ORadj, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.22-0.85) or never cat ownership (ORadj, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.28-0.92). No differences in the frequency of asthma were found among the 3 groups (P = .74) CONCLUSIONS: Cat ownership in early childhood can play an important role in preventing sensitization to cat and in lowering the frequency of allergic rhinitis, at least in children with the characteristics of the population studied.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Early, current and past pet ownership: associations with sensitization, bronchial responsiveness and allergic symptoms in school children.

BACKGROUND: Studies have suggested that early contact with pets may prevent the development of allergy and asthma. OBJECTIVE: To study the association between early, current and past pet ownership and sensitization, bronchial responsiveness and allergic symptoms in school children. METHODS: A population of almost 3000 primary school children was investigated using protocols of the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC). Allergic symptoms were measured using the parent-completed ISAAC questionnaire. Sensitization to common allergens was measured using skin prick tests (SPT)s and/or serum immunoglobulin (Ig)E determinations. Bronchial responsiveness was tested using a hypertonic saline challenge. Pet ownership was investigated by questionnaire. Current, past and early exposure to pets was documented separately for cats, dogs, rodents and birds. The data on current, past and early pet exposure were then related to allergic symptoms, sensitization and bronchial responsiveness. RESULTS: Among children currently exposed to pets, there was significantly less sensitization to cat (odds ratio (OR) = 0.69) and dog (OR = 0.63) allergens, indoor allergens in general (OR = 0.64), and outdoor allergens (OR = 0.60) compared to children who never had pets in the home. There was also less hayfever (OR = 0.66) and rhinitis (OR = 0.76). In contrast, wheeze, asthma and bronchial responsiveness were not associated with current pet ownership. Odds ratios associated with past pet ownership were generally above unity, and significant for asthma in the adjusted analysis (OR = 1.85), suggesting selective avoidance in families with sensitized and/or symptomatic children. Pet ownership in the first two years of life only showed an inverse association with sensitization to pollen: OR = 0.71 for having had furry or feathery pets in general in the first two years of life, and OR = 0.73 for having had cats and/or dogs in the first two years of life, compared to not having had pets in the first two years of life. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the inverse association between current pet ownership and sensitization and hayfever symptoms was partly due to the removal of pets in families with sensitized and/or symptomatic children. Pet ownership in the first two years of life only seemed to offer some protection against sensitization to pollen.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The new math of ownership.

In 1994, when the software maker Knowledge Adventure decided to spin out a new venture--Worlds, Incorporated--founder Bill Gross expected the worst. He had argued with the board that it was in KA's best interests to maintain a controlling ownership stake in Worlds, whose powerful new software technology had enormous revenue potential. But the board prevailed, and KA took only a 20% ownership in the new company, giving the rest to Worlds' employees. Within a year, the company's performance had surpassed all expectations, and instead of owning 80% of a $5 million business, KA owned 20% of a $77 million business. The arithmetic may have been counterintuitive, but the lesson was clear. When KA let go of Worlds and gave its employees near total ownership, the company unleashed a new level of employee performance. That, in turn, led to the creation of economic value that more than made up for the equity KA had surrendered. So compelling was this "new math of ownership" that Gross founded a new company, Idealab, on this principle. The company, which develops ideas for Internet-based businesses and seeds the most promising ones, takes no more than a 49% equity stake in the new ventures and gives at least 1% of ownership to each employee. For Gross, this radical approach to ownership is the key to inspiring stellar performances. In part, employee-owners are motivated by their potential to earn great financial reward. But the drama of ownership, he argues, is even more important. In that drama, employees become personally involved in the struggle to outdo the competition and emerge victorious.

Commerce↗

PubMed1999

Prevalence of rhinitis, pillow type and past and present ownership of furred pets.

BACKGROUND: There has been no previous work investigating the effects of furred pet ownership and pillow type on the risk of developing rhinitis. Recently, unexpected and unexplained associations of asthma with nonfeather pillows have been reported. OBJECTIVE: We developed a questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey to determine whether the past or present ownership of cats or dogs, or the use of nonfeather pillows contributes to the development of seasonal or perennial rhinitis. METHODS: We surveyed 2555 accompanying friends and relatives of patients attending the outpatients departments at one London hospital in 1996. Individuals with rhinitis were defined as those suffering with three or more symptoms of rhinitis either throughout the year (perennial) or for part of the year (seasonal). Present or childhood ownership of cats or dogs was recorded. RESULTS: A strong association was seen with nonfeather pillow use and both seasonal [odds ratio (OR) 1.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.43-2.5] and perennial (OR 2.63; CI 1.67-5. 0) rhinitis. However, more than one-third of rhinitics had changed their pillow type. After restricting the data to exclude subjects who changed their pillow to avoid allergies, the strong association of nonfeather pillow use with perennial rhinitis remained (OR 2.44; CI 1.25-5.0). Adjusting the data to the extreme situation where all former pillow type was feather changes the apparent risk to 0.99 (CI 0.67-1.43). No associations for either seasonal or perennial rhinitis were seen for feather pillows. A weak association of current dog ownership is demonstrated for seasonal rhinitis (OR 1. 47; CI 1.01-2.14). No associations were seen for childhood dog ownership or cat ownership at any time with either type of rhinitis. CONCLUSIONS: Feather pillow use and the ownership of furred pets appears unlikely to increase the risk of developing perennial or seasonal rhinitis. In fact, in contrast with currently held views, there is evidence that the use of nonfeather pillows may increase the risk.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Measuring community leaders' perceived ownership of health education programs: initial tests of reliability and validity.

Development of community ownership is often identified as an important intermediate objective of community health education programs. Community ownership is assumed to be important to program effectiveness and long-term maintenance, but validated measures of this construct have not been available to test this proposition. A measure of community leaders' perceived ownership of health education programs was developed and tested. The Community Ownership Scale identified key functions within a program and asked community leaders to rate the amount of control the leaders themselves, the external sponsoring agency and the local program staff had in each area. The measure was tested with the volunteer leadership of three community health education programs. Predictions about scores were based on the conceptual framework from which the ownership construct was derived. Results of these tests were consistent with predictions, providing evidence for the validity of the measure. Subscale scores showed high levels of internal consistency reliability. This measure could be applied at different stages in the life of a program to monitor the success of efforts to foster community ownership, and to test the relationships between perceived ownership and program effectiveness and maintenance.

Community Participation↗

PubMed2003

Studying "exposure" to firearms: household ownership v access.

BACKGROUND: Firearm ownership has often been used to measure access to weapons. However, persons who own a firearm may not have access to it and conversely, persons who do not own a firearm may be able to access one quickly. OBJECTIVES: To examine whether using firearm ownership is a reasonable proxy for access by describing the demographic characteristics associated with ownership and access. METHODS: Data are from the 1994 Injury Control and Risk Survey, a national, random digit dial survey. Information about household firearm ownership and ready access to a loaded firearm were collected and weighted to provide national estimates. Adjusted odds ratios for three separate models were calculated using logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 1353 (27.9%) respondents reported both having a firearm in the household and ready access to one. An additional 313 respondents (8.1%) reported having a firearm, but were not able to access these weapons. Another 421 respondents (7.2%) did not have a firearm in or around their home, yet reported being able to retrieve and fire one within 10 minutes. Based on the logistic regression findings, the demographic characteristics of this latter group are quite different from those who report ownership. Those who do not have a firearm, but report ready access to one, are more likely to be ethnic minorities, single, and living in attached homes. CONCLUSIONS: Asking only about the presence of a firearm in a household may miss some respondents with ready access to a loaded firearm. More importantly, those who do not own a firearm, but report ready access to one, appear to be qualitatively different from those who report ownership. Caution should be exercised when using measures of ownership as a proxy for access.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Coding of border ownership in monkey visual cortex.

Areas V1 and V2 of the visual cortex have traditionally been conceived as stages of local feature representations. We investigated whether neural responses carry information about how local features belong to objects. Single-cell activity was recorded in areas V1, V2, and V4 of awake behaving monkeys. Displays were used in which the same local feature (contrast edge or line) could be presented as part of different figures. For example, the same light-dark edge could be the left side of a dark square or the right side of a light square. Each display was also presented with reversed contrast. We found significant modulation of responses as a function of the side of the figure in >50% of neurons of V2 and V4 and in 18% of neurons of the top layers of V1. Thus, besides the local contrast border information, neurons were found to encode the side to which the border belongs ("border ownership coding"). A majority of these neurons coded border ownership and the local polarity of luminance-chromaticity contrast. The others were insensitive to contrast polarity. Another 20% of the neurons of V2 and V4, and 48% of top layer V1, coded local contrast polarity, but not border ownership. The border ownership-related response differences emerged soon (<25 msec) after the response onset. In V2 and V4, the differences were found to be nearly independent of figure size up to the limit set by the size of our display (21 degrees ). Displays that differed only far outside the conventional receptive field could produce markedly different responses. When tested with more complex displays in which figure-ground cues were varied, some neurons produced invariant border ownership signals, others failed to signal border ownership for some of the displays, but neurons that reversed signals were rare. The influence of visual stimulation far from the receptive field center indicates mechanisms of global context integration. The short latencies and incomplete cue invariance suggest that the border-ownership effect is generated within the visual cortex rather than projected down from higher levels.

Animals↗

PubMed2007

Mobile phone ownership and use among school children in three Hungarian cities.

In spite of rapid worldwide increase in mobile phone use and public concerns about associated potential health effects, little is known about patterns of mobile phone ownership and use in the general population and among children. In April 2005, we conducted a survey of mobile phone ownership and use among fourth grade school children in three Hungarian cities. From 24 schools, 1301 student filled out a short, self-administered questionnaire on basic demographics, mobile phone ownership, pattern of mobile phone use, and after-school activities. Overall, 989 students (76%) owned a mobile phone. Three hundred thirteen students (24%) used a mobile phone daily to make phone calls, and an additional 427 students (33%) used mobile phones for phone calls at least several times per week. Sixty-six students (5%) sent text messages daily and an additional 308 students (24%) sent text messages at least several times per week. Girls, children with no siblings, children who were members of a sport club, and children who played computer games daily were more likely to own and use mobile phones regularly. A higher number of socially disadvantaged children in a class predicted lower likelihood of regular mobile phone use among children. Our results suggest that mobile phone ownership and regular use is highly prevalent among school children in Hungary. Due to rapid changes in ownership patterns follow up surveys will be required to obtain information on temporal trends and changes in mobile phone ownership and pattern of use among school children.

Cell Phone↗

PubMed2006

Risk factors for unsuccessful dog ownership: an epidemiologic study in Taiwan.

This retrospective study of 259 Taiwanese dog owners in 2004 addressed one of the major contributors to dog overpopulation in Taiwan: unsuccessful dog ownership. We found an inverse association between age of the dog at acquisition and risk of unsuccessful dog ownership: the younger the dog at acquisition the higher the risk. The incidence-proportion ratios (IPRs) of unsuccessful dog ownership for the owners who had a history of pet abandonment or losing a pet compared with those without such a history were 1.8 (95% confidence interval (CI)=1.1, 3.0) and 2.1 (95% CI=1.3, 3.3), respectively. Soiling (IPR=2.0, 95% CI=1.3, 3.1) and barking (IPR=1.6, 95% CI=1.0, 2.6) problems had the strongest effects on unsuccessful dog ownership among the post-acquisition variables studied. Preventing owners with a history of unsuccessful dog ownership from acquiring dogs was predicted to yield the largest reduction of risk of unsuccessful dog ownership among the investigated variables (population attributable fraction=33%, 95% CI=11%, 50%).

Age Distribution↗

PubMed2003

Does car ownership reflect socio-economic disadvantage in rural areas? A cross-sectional geographical study in Wales, UK.

It is widely believed that area-based deprivation indices that include the car ownership census variable are poor indicators of deprivation in rural areas since car ownership is a necessity of rural life. In this cross-sectional geographical study, we assess whether the relation between lack of car ownership and socio-economic deprivation varies between urban and rural enumeration districts of Wales, UK. We classified the 6376 census enumeration districts in Wales into rural (1636, 26%) and urban (4740, 74%), using the Office for National Statistics' classification based on land use. Rank correlation coefficients between the proportion of households with no car and a range of other proxy deprivation census variables were strongly positive in urban and the most densely populated rural enumeration districts. However, these correlations were weaker in sparsely populated rural enumeration districts, with a declining trend across deciles of population density. Exclusion of the car ownership variable from the Townsend index of deprivation re-categorized rural enumeration districts as more deprived and urban enumeration districts as less deprived compared with the standard Townsend index. Our results suggest that lack of car ownership is a poor proxy for social deprivation in the most sparsely populated rural areas of Wales, and therefore, deprivation indices that include the car ownership variable are less valid for use in rural areas.

Automobiles↗

PubMed2006

Does dog or cat ownership lead to increased gastroenteritis in young children in South Australia?

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dog and cat ownership and gastroenteritis in young children. A diary study of 965 children aged 4-6 years living in rural or semi-rural South Australia was undertaken. Data were collected on pet ownership, drinking water and other risk factors for gastroenteritis. Overall 89% of households had pets and dog ownership was more common than cat ownership. The multivariable models for gastroenteritis and pet ownership indicated that living in a household with a dog or cat was associated with a reduced risk of gastroenteritis (adj. OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55-0.92; OR 0.70, % CI 0.51-0.97 respectively). This paper adds to the evidence that pets are not a major source of gastroenteritis in the home and lends support to the health benefits of pet ownership. However, this must be weighed against the potential negative consequences, such as dog bites, particularly for this age group.

Animals↗