Food Security Challenges and Health Opportunities of Companion Animal Ownership for Low-Income Adults

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Do pets provide benefits or risks for low-income individuals in regards to food security?

Method

Surveys of food security were administered to 392 low-income adults utilizing food pantries. Data collection included a self-administered questionnaire about demographics, food security, health and well-being, and for those with pets, animal attachment, commitment and animal information. Qualitative interviews were conducted with fifteen pet-owning individuals who completed the questionnaire and agreed to be contacted and interviewed over the phone about food security and their pets.

Results

Bivariate analyzes suggested that those with pets were more food secure and logistic regression found pet ownership associated with greater food security. The interviews suggest that pets assisted in creating a routine, and motivation for obtaining food.

Discussion

It is critical that social workers realize the importance of pets in the lives of humans and include them in psychosocial assessments and as motivators for health interventions.

KEYWORDS:

• Food security
• pets as protective agents
• human-animal bond
• health and wellness
• pets
• companion animals
• animals and social work

Acknowledgments

Animal Friends, The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and Qi Chen MSW, Mary Carter PhD. and Joseph DiPasqua M.A. for their assistance.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Florence Stier Endowed Fund.