Table 1.
Characteristics of Study Population (N=1769) According to Pet Ownershipa
| Characteristics Median (Interquartile Range) or % |
Pet Owners (n=746) | Non-pet Owners (n=1023) | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, y | 44.0 (16.0) | 50.0 (17.0) | <0.001 |
| Sex (% male) | 41.0 | 46.6 | 0.019 |
| Educational level (% lowb) | 21.7 | 16.7 | <0.001 |
| Marital status (% living alone) | 38.1 | 38.2 | 0.950 |
| Employment (% unemployed) | 18.2 | 18.2 | 0.641 |
| Income (% less than 30,000 CZK) | 39.3 | 42.0 | 0.401 |
| Smoking (% current smokers) | 29.9 | 24.6 | 0.044 |
| Physical activity, MET-min/wk | 4265 (5685) | 2805 (4176) | <0.001 |
| Weight, kg | 76.0 (24.0) | 77.0 (24.0) | 0.115 |
| Body mass index, kg/m2 | 25.0 (6.4) | 25.4 (6.0) | 0.115 |
| Waist circumference, cm | 87.0 (21.0) | 89.0 (20.0) | 0.042 |
| Central obesityc (%) | 28.4 | 32.2 | 0.088 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 117.5 (18.5) | 118.5 (19.8) | 0.206 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 79.0 (12.5) | 79.5 (13.0) | 0.584 |
| History of hypertension (%) | 27.5 | 32.9 | 0.016 |
| Fasting glucose, nmol/L | 4.9 (0.8) | 4.9 (0.7) | 0.357 |
| History of diabetes mellitus (%) | 7.3 | 10.0 | 0.046 |
| Triglycerides, nmol/L | 1.04 (0.80) | 1.05 (0.80) | 0.876 |
| Total cholesterol, nmol/L | 5.1 (1.3) | 5.1 (1.3) | 0.889 |
| HDL cholesterol, nmol/L | 1.5 (0.5) | 1.4 (0.5) | 0.021 |
| LDL cholesterol, nmol/L | 3.0 (1.2) | 3.1 (1.2) | 0.334 |
| Total cholesterol/HDL-cholesterol ratio | 3.3 (1.5) | 3.4 (1.4) | 0.054 |
| History of hypercholesterolemia (%) | 26.3 | 29.5 | 0.139 |
| CVH scored | 10 (3) | 9 (3) | 0.007 |
| Number of ideal CVH metrics | 4 (2) | 4 (1) | 0.105 |
a
CVH = cardiovascular health; CZK = Czech koruna; HDL = high-density lipoprotein; LDL = low-density lipoprotein; MET = metabolic equivalent for task.
b
Primary education or apprenticeship.
c
Defined as waist circumference ≥102 cm in men and ≥ 88 cm in women.
d
Computed as the sum of seven metrics defined by the American Heart Association.