Understanding the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals as a key context for antimicrobial resistance-related behaviours: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Adele Dickson; Matt Smith; Fraser Smith; Jeni Park; Caroline King; Kay Currie; Darren Langdridge; Mark David McGregor Davis; Paul Flowers

doi:10.1080/21642850.2019.1577738

Understanding the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals as a key context for antimicrobial resistance-related behaviours: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

Adele Dickson, Matt Smith, Fraser Smith, Jeni Park, Caroline King, Kay Currie, Darren Langdridge, Mark David McGregor Davis, Paul Flowers

Sociology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Objectives: Drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are diffuse and
complex including a range of interspecies behaviours between pet
owners and their animals. We employed interpretative
phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the relationship
between pet owners and their companion animals in relation to
AMR. Design: Cross sectional, qualitative study. Methods: Semistructured
interviews were conducted with twenty-three British
pet owners, transcribed verbatim and subjected to Interpretative
Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Three, inter-related
Superordinate themes are presented 1) ‘They’re my fur babies’:
unconditional love and anthropomorphism; 2) ‘They share
everything with you’: affection and transmission behaviours; and
3) ‘We would err on the side of caution’: decision making and
antibiotic use’. Conclusions: Affectionate behaviours between
companion animals and their owners pose a risk for AMR
transmission but they are so deeply treasured that they are
unlikely to be amenable to change. In contrast, the promotion of
appropriate antibiotic stewardship for pet owners and vets may
offer a viable pathway for intervention development, benefitting
from synergies with other interventions that target prescribers.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	45-61
Number of pages	17
Journal	Health psychology and behavioral medicine
Volume	7
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2019.1577738
Publication status	Published - 2019

Keywords

Anti-microbial resistance
affectionate relationships
interspecies behaviours;
behaviour change
Interpretative phenomenological analysis

Access to Document

10.1080/21642850.2019.1577738

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Cite this

Dickson, A., Smith, M., Smith, F., Park, J., King, C., Currie, K., Langdridge, D., Davis, M. D. M., & Flowers, P. (2019). Understanding the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals as a key context for antimicrobial resistance-related behaviours: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Health psychology and behavioral medicine, 7(1), 45-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2019.1577738

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title = "Understanding the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals as a key context for antimicrobial resistance-related behaviours: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis",

abstract = "Objectives: Drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are diffuse andcomplex including a range of interspecies behaviours between petowners and their animals. We employed interpretativephenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the relationshipbetween pet owners and their companion animals in relation toAMR. Design: Cross sectional, qualitative study. Methods: Semistructuredinterviews were conducted with twenty-three Britishpet owners, transcribed verbatim and subjected to InterpretativePhenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Three, inter-relatedSuperordinate themes are presented 1) {\textquoteleft}They{\textquoteright}re my fur babies{\textquoteright}:unconditional love and anthropomorphism; 2) {\textquoteleft}They shareeverything with you{\textquoteright}: affection and transmission behaviours; and3) {\textquoteleft}We would err on the side of caution{\textquoteright}: decision making andantibiotic use{\textquoteright}. Conclusions: Affectionate behaviours betweencompanion animals and their owners pose a risk for AMRtransmission but they are so deeply treasured that they areunlikely to be amenable to change. In contrast, the promotion ofappropriate antibiotic stewardship for pet owners and vets mayoffer a viable pathway for intervention development, benefittingfrom synergies with other interventions that target prescribers.",

keywords = "Anti-microbial resistance, affectionate relationships, interspecies behaviours;, behaviour change, Interpretative phenomenological analysis",

author = "Adele Dickson and Matt Smith and Fraser Smith and Jeni Park and Caroline King and Kay Currie and Darren Langdridge and Davis, {Mark David McGregor} and Paul Flowers",

year = "2019",

doi = "10.1080/21642850.2019.1577738",

language = "English",

volume = "7",

pages = "45--61",

journal = "Health psychology and behavioral medicine",

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publisher = "Taylor & Francis",

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}

Dickson, A, Smith, M, Smith, F, Park, J, King, C, Currie, K, Langdridge, D, Davis, MDM & Flowers, P 2019, 'Understanding the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals as a key context for antimicrobial resistance-related behaviours: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis', Health psychology and behavioral medicine, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 45-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2019.1577738

Understanding the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals as a key context for antimicrobial resistance-related behaviours: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. / Dickson, Adele; Smith, Matt; Smith, Fraser et al.
In: Health psychology and behavioral medicine, Vol. 7, No. 1, 2019, p. 45-61.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Understanding the relationship between pet owners and their companion animals as a key context for antimicrobial resistance-related behaviours: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

AU - Dickson, Adele

AU - Smith, Matt

AU - Smith, Fraser

AU - Park, Jeni

AU - King, Caroline

AU - Currie, Kay

AU - Langdridge, Darren

AU - Davis, Mark David McGregor

AU - Flowers, Paul

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Objectives: Drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are diffuse andcomplex including a range of interspecies behaviours between petowners and their animals. We employed interpretativephenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the relationshipbetween pet owners and their companion animals in relation toAMR. Design: Cross sectional, qualitative study. Methods: Semistructuredinterviews were conducted with twenty-three Britishpet owners, transcribed verbatim and subjected to InterpretativePhenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Three, inter-relatedSuperordinate themes are presented 1) ‘They’re my fur babies’:unconditional love and anthropomorphism; 2) ‘They shareeverything with you’: affection and transmission behaviours; and3) ‘We would err on the side of caution’: decision making andantibiotic use’. Conclusions: Affectionate behaviours betweencompanion animals and their owners pose a risk for AMRtransmission but they are so deeply treasured that they areunlikely to be amenable to change. In contrast, the promotion ofappropriate antibiotic stewardship for pet owners and vets mayoffer a viable pathway for intervention development, benefittingfrom synergies with other interventions that target prescribers.

AB - Objectives: Drivers of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are diffuse andcomplex including a range of interspecies behaviours between petowners and their animals. We employed interpretativephenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the relationshipbetween pet owners and their companion animals in relation toAMR. Design: Cross sectional, qualitative study. Methods: Semistructuredinterviews were conducted with twenty-three Britishpet owners, transcribed verbatim and subjected to InterpretativePhenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Three, inter-relatedSuperordinate themes are presented 1) ‘They’re my fur babies’:unconditional love and anthropomorphism; 2) ‘They shareeverything with you’: affection and transmission behaviours; and3) ‘We would err on the side of caution’: decision making andantibiotic use’. Conclusions: Affectionate behaviours betweencompanion animals and their owners pose a risk for AMRtransmission but they are so deeply treasured that they areunlikely to be amenable to change. In contrast, the promotion ofappropriate antibiotic stewardship for pet owners and vets mayoffer a viable pathway for intervention development, benefittingfrom synergies with other interventions that target prescribers.

KW - Anti-microbial resistance

KW - affectionate relationships

KW - interspecies behaviours;

KW - behaviour change

KW - Interpretative phenomenological analysis

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DO - 10.1080/21642850.2019.1577738

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EP - 61

JO - Health psychology and behavioral medicine

JF - Health psychology and behavioral medicine

IS - 1

ER -