Depression among Pet owners and Non-pet owners: A comparative cross-sectional study in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Depression is one of the leading causes of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY) calculated for all ages that often begins during teens and continues to affect later years. It is shown that pets can influence a human being psychologically and emotionally, including preventing depression. This study determined the association between keeping household pets and depression. A comparative cross-sectional methodology was followed, and data were drawn using both online and offline approaches. Independent sample t-test and chi-square test were used to compare continuous variables and categorical variables between pet-owners and nonowners. Logistic regression was used to identify an association between pet ownership and depression. Pet owners were found to be 41% less depressed than nonowners (AOR-0.59 (95% CI: 0.31-1.14). Among other variables, male gender [AOR-3.38 (95% CI: 3.38: 1.50-7.62)], unmarried status [AOR-2.10 (95% CI: 1.05-4.16)], tobacco consumption [AOR-5.27 (95% CI: 1.50-18.53)], physical disability [AOR-5.27 (95% CI: 1.50-18.53)] were significantly and positively associated with depression