Table 1.
Distribution of the variables included in the directed acyclic graph (DAG) to identify the minimal sufficient adjustment set for estimating the total effect of pet ownership on the different health and well-being outcomes assessed in a cross-sectional study on 1500 Canadians during the COVID-19 pandemic (14 April to 5 May 2021).
| Variables | % (n) or Median (Range) |
% or Median (95% CI 1) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | Pet Owners | Non-Pet Owners | |
| Province and territories † | |||
| British Columbia | 12.5% (187) | 10.4% (8.2; 12.6) | 14.6% (12.0; 17.1) |
| Alberta | 9.9% (149) | 10.0% (7.9; 12.1) | 9.9% (7.7; 12.0) |
| Saskatchewan | 3.3% (49) | 3.2% (1.9; 4.5) | 3.3% (2.0; 4.6) |
| Manitoba | 3.3% (49) | 4.0% (2.6; 5.4) | 2.5% (1.4; 3.7) |
| Ontario | 38.3% (575) | 37.2% (33.7; 40.7) | 39.5% (36.0; 43.0) |
| Québec | 25.8% (387) | 27.2% (24.0; 30.4) | 24.4% (21.3; 27.5) |
| New Brunswick | 2.4% (36) | 3.2% (1.9; 4.5) | 1.6% (0.7; 2.5) |
| Nova Scotia | 2.5% (37) | 2.4% (1.3; 3.5) | 2.5% (1.4; 3.7) |
| Prince Edward Island | 0.2% (3) | 0.4% (0.0; 0.9) | 0 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 1.2% (18) | 1.2% (0.4; 2.0) | 1.2% (0.4; 2.0) |
| Nunavut | 0.1% (1) | 0 | 0.1% (0.0; 0.4) |
| Yukon | 0.4% (6) | 0.5% (0.0; 1.1) | 0.3% (0.0; 0.6) |
| Northwest Territories | 0.2% (3) | 0.3% (0.0; 0.6) | 0.1% (0.0; 0.4) |
| Age * | |||
| 18 to 24 years old | 8.5% (127) | 9.6% (7.5; 11.7) | 7.3% (5.5; 9.2) |
| 25 to 34 years old | 15.3% (229) | 17.5% (14.7; 20.2) | 13.1% (10.7; 15.5) |
| 35 to 44 years old | 18.5% (277) | 20.2% (17.4; 23.1) | 16.7% (14.0; 19.3) |
| 45 to 54 years old | 20.5% (308) | 23.9% (20.8; 26.9) | 17.2% (14.5; 19.9) |
| 55 to 64 years old | 17.3% (259) | 16.1% (13.5; 18.8) | 18.4% (15.6; 21.2) |
| 65 years old and older | 20.0% (300) | 12.7% (10.3; 15.0) | 27.3% (24.1; 30.5) |
| Gender * | |||
| Women | 50.2% (752) | 53.6% (50.0; 57.2) | 46.7% (43.1; 50.2) |
| Men | 49.5% (743) | 45.9% (42.3; 49.4) | 53.2% (49.6; 56.8) |
| Other or did not answer | 0.3% (5) | 0.5% (0.0; 1.1) | 0.1% (0.0; 0.4) |
| Highest level of education * | |||
| Before high school | 2.5% (38) | 2.9% (1.7; 4.1) | 2.1% (1.1; 3.2) |
| High school | 21.1% (317) | 22.9% (19.9; 25.9) | 19.3% (16.5; 22.2) |
| College | 32.4% (486) | 36.4% (33.0; 39.8) | 28.4% (25.2; 31.6) |
| University | 43.9% (659) | 37.8% (34.3; 41.2) | 50.2% (46.6; 53.7) |
| Ethnicity * | |||
| Caucasian | 77.9% (1168) | 83.3% (80.7; 86.0) | 72.4% (69.2; 75.6) |
| Others 2 | 22.1% (332) | 16.7% (14.0; 19.3) | 27.6% (24.4; 30.8) |
| Annual household income * | |||
| $19,999 or less | 4.9% (74) | 5.2% (3.6; 6.8) | 4.7% (3.2; 6.2) |
| $20,000–$39,999 | 11.7% (176) | 13.1% (10.7; 15.5) | 10.4% (8.2; 12.6) |
| $40,000–$59,000 | 15.2% (228) | 14.1% (11.6; 16.6) | 16.3% (13.6; 18.9) |
| $60,000–$79,999 | 13.6% (204) | 13.6% (11.1; 16.1) | 13.6% (11.1; 16.1) |
| $80,000–$99,999 | 14.1% (211) | 12.1% (9.8; 14.5) | 16.0% (13.4; 18.6) |
| $100,000–$119,999 | 11.3% (170) | 12.5% (10.2; 14.9) | 10.1% (8.0; 12.3) |
| $120,000 or more | 18.5% (278) | 19.4% (16.5; 22.2) | 17.7% (15.0; 20.5) |
| Prefer not to answer | 10.6% (159) | 10.0% (7.9; 12.1) | 11.2% (8.9; 13.5) |
| Income change since the pandemic | |||
| Did not change | 50.9% (763) | 48.0% (44.4; 51.6) | 53.8% (50.2; 57.3) |
| Decreased | 28.4% (426) | 30.3% (27.0; 33.6) | 26.5% (23.4; 29.7) |
| Increased | 14.7% (220) | 15.5% (12.9; 18.1) | 13.9% (11.4; 16.3) |
| Did not know | 2.3% (35) | 2.5% (1.4; 3.7) | 2.1% (1.1; 3.2) |
| Did not answer | 3.7% (56) | 3.7% (2.4; 5.1) | 3.7% (2.4; 5.1) |
| Had a social support * | |||
| Yes | 75.7% (1135) | 73.9% (70.7; 77.0) | 77.5% (74.5; 80.5) |
| No | 24.3% (365) | 26.1% (23.0; 29.3) | 22.5% (19.5; 25.5) |
| Tested positive to COVID-19 in the last 6 months (or someone in their household) | |||
| No | 95.2% (1428) | 93.9% (92.1; 95.6) | 96.5% (95.2; 97.8) |
| Yes | 4.8% (72) | 6.1% (4.4.; 7.9) | 3.5% (2.2; 4.8) |
| Identified as a person with a disability | |||
| No | 87.5% (1312) | 84.0% (81.4; 86.6) | 90.9% (88.9; 93.0) |
| Yes | 12.5% (188) | 16.0% (13.4; 18.6) | 9.1% (7.0; 11.1) |
| Had an emotional, psychological, or mental health conditions | |||
| No | 77.4% (1161) | 71.5% (68.2; 74.7) | 83.3% (80.7; 86.0) |
| Yes | 22.6% (339) | 28.5% (25.3; 31.8) | 16.7% (14.0; 19.3) |
| Mental health change (compared to before the pandemic) * | |||
| Much better | 1.9% (28) | 2.0% (1.0; 3.0) | 1.7% (0.8; 2.7) |
| Somewhat better | 6.9% (104) | 7.6% (5.7; 9.5) | 6.3% (4.5; 8.0) |
| About the same | 47.6% (714) | 41.9% (38.3; 45.4) | 53.4% (49.8; 56.9) |
| Somewhat worse | 36.7% (551) | 40.1% (36.6; 43.6) | 33.3% (30.0; 36.7) |
| Much worse | 6.9% (103) | 8.4% (6.4; 10.4) | 5.3% (3.7; 6.9) |
| Pet change * | |||
| No change | 84.0% (1259) | 75.1% (72.1; 78.3) | 92.7% (90.8; 94.5) |
| Lost a pet in the last year | 9.4% (141) | 11.5% (9.2; 13.7) | 7.3% (5.5; 9.2) |
| Acquired a pet since the start of the pandemic | 4.5% (68) | 9.1% (7.0; 11.1) | - |
| Lost and acquired a pet in the last year | 2.1% (32) | 4.3% (2.8; 5.7) | - |
| Number of people in the household * | 2 (1 to 14) | 2 (2; 3) | 2 (2; 2) |
| Pet attitude * | 97.5 (19 to 126) | 107 (106; 109) | 86.5 (85; 89) |
† Considered as a grouping in multilevel models by geographical regions: British Columbia, Prairies, and Territories (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, Yukon, and Northwest Territories), Ontario, Québec, and Atlantic (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador). * Included in the minimal sufficient adjustment set for estimating the total effect of pet ownership on the different outcomes. 1 95% confidence intervals. 2 Included First Nations, Métis or Inuk, South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Arab, Latin American, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Korean, Japanese, and others.