Table 1.
Comparison of Dog Owners (n = 20) versus Non-Dog Owners (n = 36) by Pain Severity, Physical Functioning and Demographic Characteristics a.
| Variables | Dog Owners (n = 20) | Non-Dog Owners (n = 36) |
|---|---|---|
| Numerical Pain Index (NPI) Pain Severity (Range = 0–10) | 6.40 (1.67) | 7.00 (1.45) |
| Physical Functioning (Range = 0–100) b | 56.95 (11.23) | 56.81 (15.42) |
| ● Pain Intensity (Range = 0–5) | 3.65 (0.93) | 3.74 (0.95) |
| ● Pain Walking (Range = 0–5) | 2.65 (0.93) | 2.94 (0.92) |
| Days of Poor Physical Health (Range = 0–31) | 19.56 (10.66) | 18.81 (11.72) |
| Sex (% Male) | 40% | 36% |
| Age | 58% | 58% |
| Education (% with University Degree) | 42% | 36% |
| Income (1 = impossible/difficult to manageall the time to 4 = easy to manage) | 2.40 (0.88) | 2.39 (0.90) |
| Housing (% House vs. Apartment, Farm, Other) | 75% | 65% |
| Urban vs. Rural (% Urban) | 79% | 80% |
| Employment Status (% Employed) | 20% | 17% |
| Marital Status (% Married) | 25% | 37% |
| Parental Status (% with children < 18 at home) | 21% | 20% |
| Any Dependents (% Yes) | 5% | 12% |
a Note that there are no significant differences between the two groups at the 0.05 level; b A score of 41%–60% on the Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire indicates “severe disability” where daily living activities are affected by pain.