Veterinary-Prescribed Physical Activity: Feasibility and Acceptability among Veterinary Staff and Dog Owners
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Participants
2.3. Procedures
2.4. Measures
2.4.1. Variables Assessing Feasibility and Acceptability of Veterinary-Prescribed Exercise
2.4.2. Demographic Data
2.5. Analyses
3. Results
3.1. Dog Owner (DO) Survey Results
3.2. Veterinary Staff (VS) Survey Results
4. Discussion
- Top barriers reported by DOs:
- Cost: Although the most commonly cited barrier, it is not clear that the costs of these types of services would be significant (indeed some, such as blood-pressure assessments are currently offered freely at many pharmacies), and costs would likely vary by veterinary clinic. To accurately address potential financial barriers, an economic assessment must be included in future pilot studies.
- Training of VS related to human health: To reassure DOs and to assist VS, premade programming materials/resources detailing human-health parameters should be incorporated into any human-health-promotion efforts delivered by VS. VS do not diagnose or make individually targeted recommendations for DOs, which would not change, regardless of adoption and use of this type of programming. Rather, VS would provide general information and encourage DOs to follow up with their physicians. Finally, additional training and resources, such as local community partners that could help connect DOs to healthcare providers, would be provided to clinics who participate in human-health-related programs.
- Extra time added to veterinary appointments: Depending on the DOs’ level of interest and engagement, as well as the VS availability at the clinic, time to conduct human biometric testing will vary. These appointments will be tailored to accommodate the PA needs of both the human and companion animal, so extra time, if warranted and desired, would be possible. Those DOs wishing to receive multiple health tests would likely require an additional appointment or a longer appointment time. In the study conducted by Duncan et al. [16], veterinary appointments were structured so that a technician conducted all biometric testing while the animal was with the veterinarian, thereby maintaining a similar appointment duration as appointments containing no human-health programming.
- Top barriers reported by VS:
- Dog has medical issues: Although PA may not be appropriate for dogs with all types of medical issues, PA can be an important management component of and can help alleviate an array of ailments. Nevertheless, the prescription of PA must be handled on a case-by-case basis. Veterinarians can tailor the PA recommendations to each individual dog’s needs as they do for other treatment plans.
- Owner has a disability: In order to enroll in a PA program, participants must affirm that they acknowledge the risks (although minimal) associated with increased PA and certify that they are healthy enough to participate. Considerations for owner participation and ability will be accounted for as well.
- Client receptivity: In order to determine interest, individual clinics would have to survey their clientele. Clinics can develop a system to allow DOs to opt in or opt out of a PA-prescription program that respects potential concerns about discussing PA directly. Results of this study suggest that many clients would be interested in participating in this type of service; therefore, disseminating this information and empowering clinic staff could result in a significant public health benefit.
4.1. Strengths and Limitations
4.2. Future Directions
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Disease Type | Participant Rating of Usefulness for PA to Prevent Disease | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Both Humans and Dogs | Humans Only | Dogs Only | Neither Humans nor Dogs | |||||
VS | DO | VS | DO | VS | DO | VS | DO | |
Obesity | 98.3% | 83.3% | 0.8% | 8.7% | 0.6% | 6.0% | 0.3% | 2.0% |
Cardiovascular Disease | 84.2% | 79.7% | 15.3% | 10.6% | 0.2% | 7.4% | 0.3% | 2.3% |
Cancer | 61.0% | 65.7% | 6.8% | 17.5% | 0.5% | 4.4% | 31.7% | 15.2% |
Musculoskeletal Disease (arthritis, mobility, etc.) | 98.0% | 81.5% | 1.0% | 6.0% | 1.0% | 8.1% | 0.0% | 4.4% |
High Blood Pressure | 73.1% | 69.7% | 23.6% | 23.2% | 0.3% | 5.5% | 3.0% | 4.5% |
Mental Illness/ Behavior/Depression | 92.9% | 69.9% | 6.3% | 20.6% | 0.3% | 5.4% | 0.5% | 4.1% |
Diabetes | 84.5% | 66.3% | 10.9% | 23.9% | 0.2% | 4.8% | 4.4% | 5.0% |
Participant Ratings | Percent of People and Dogs That Would Benefit from Increased PA | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
0% | 1–25% | 26–50% | 51–75% | 76–99% | 100% | |
VS (People) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.3 | 25.7 | 43.9 | 27.1 |
DO (People) | 0.3 | 0.9 | 4.9 | 18.6 | 39.4 | 36.0 |
VS (Dogs) | 0.0 | 0.2 | 5.7 | 25.8 | 42.6 | 25.7 |
DO (Dogs) | 0.3 | 2.2 | 11.3 | 19.9 | 30.1 | 36.2 |
Frequency | Participant Ratings of the Frequency of PA Discussions | |
---|---|---|
DO | VS | |
Never (at NO appointments) | 14.5% | 3.5% |
Sometimes (at FEW appointments) | 42.1% | 27.7% |
Often (at ABOUT HALF of appointments) | 20.4% | 21.1% |
Usually (at MOST appointments) | 17.9% | 27.4% |
Always (at EVERY appointment) | 5.1% | 13.2% |
Biomarker | Participant Level of Comfort | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Very Comfortable | Somewhat Comfortable | Somewhat Uncomfortable | Very Uncomfortable | |
Height | 65.5% | 20.9% | 7.3% | 6.3% |
Weight | 53.6% | 25.7% | 12.4% | 8.4% |
Body Mass Index (BMI) | 51.5% | 26.5% | 13.6% | 8.5% |
Waist Circumference | 47.1% | 28.2% | 15.2% | 9.5% |
Blood test (via finger prick) | 43.3% | 26.8% | 18.0% | 11.9% |
Blood pressure | 55.5% | 25.8% | 10.5% | 8.2% |
Reason | Percent Agreeing |
---|---|
Convenience: It could be convenient to have health screenings performed at the same location for me and my dog(s). | 51.5% |
Cost: I would be likely to participate if this service was more affordable than general health screenings at other facilities. | 45.4% |
Education: I might pursue this as an opportunity to increase my knowledge about topics important to both my health and my dog’s health. | 42.7% |
Trust: I trust my veterinarian and veterinary staff. | 42.6% |
Awareness: Test results (from the vet clinic) may make me more likely to get an appointment with my doctor. | 35.1% |
Stress: It may be less stressful to have the health-screening activities done at my veterinary clinic relative to other options. | 24.4% |
Frequency: I would get my general health screening done more often if I could do it at my veterinary clinic instead of or in addition to at a human healthcare center. | 24.1% |
Reason | Percent Agreeing |
---|---|
Cost: These services might increase the cost of my veterinary visit. | 54.1% |
Training: Veterinary staff are not trained in, or experts in, human health. | 29.8% |
Time: There is not enough time during my veterinary appointments for additional services. | 29.0% |
Need: I already regularly get general health screenings elsewhere. | 26.9% |
Comfort: I would not feel comfortable with the veterinary staff knowing about my general health. | 25.9% |
Credibility: I do not know that results obtained at a veterinary clinic would be deemed credible by my medical doctor. | 23.3% |
Mission: I do not want the staff at my veterinary clinic to be distracted or diverted from their mission of promoting animal health. | 19.3% |
None: None of these factors would keep me from participating. | 5.5% |
Barrier | Percent Agreeing |
---|---|
The pet has other medical issues that are more important to address than physical activity. | 62.3% |
The client is unable to increase physical activity with their pet due to a physical or mental disability. | 54.4% |
The client is often not receptive to discussing physical activity for their pet | 37.7% |
There is not enough time during most appointments to discuss physical activity unless critical to the patient’s health. | 33.6% |
Owner compliance with physical activity recommendation is too low to make it worthwhile. | 21.2% |
It is awkward to discuss weight-related topics with clients. | 20.1% |
I should increase my own and/or my pets’ physical activity, and I feel hypocritical recommending it. | 15.4% |
Recommending physical activity might make the owner uncomfortable and keep them from coming back to our clinic. | 8.9% |
Other | 4.6% |
Resource | Percent Agreeing |
---|---|
Complete toolkit: A collection of materials that a practice could use to initiate physical activity programming in their clinic. | 77.3% |
Education: Information regarding the health benefits of increasing physical activity for both animals and people. | 69.1% |
Physical resources: Information to provide clients about the health benefits of physical activity or other health-promoting behaviors. | 66.4% |
Communication tools: Strategies to discuss physical activity with my clients. | 61.7% |
Legal support: Information regarding the legal boundaries of discussing health topics with clients that do not directly pertain to the health of their pet. | 28.1% |
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Oselinsky, K.; Duncan, C.G.; Martinez, H.E.; Graham, D.J. Veterinary-Prescribed Physical Activity: Feasibility and Acceptability among Veterinary Staff and Dog Owners. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 2339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052339
Oselinsky K, Duncan CG, Martinez HE, Graham DJ. Veterinary-Prescribed Physical Activity: Feasibility and Acceptability among Veterinary Staff and Dog Owners. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(5):2339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052339
Chicago/Turabian StyleOselinsky, Katrina, Colleen G. Duncan, Heather E. Martinez, and Dan J. Graham. 2021. "Veterinary-Prescribed Physical Activity: Feasibility and Acceptability among Veterinary Staff and Dog Owners" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 5: 2339. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052339