Unintentional Injuries caused by pets in Asian urban households

This study examine the incidence rate and characteristics of pet-related household injuries in Hong Kong. The associations of injuries with socio-demographic factors and pet ownership were also examined.

A population-based telephone survey was conducted in 2009. Pet-related household injuries in the previous 12 months, pet ownership, and socio-demographic characteristics were collected with a questionnaire. Direct standardization of the incidence rate of pet-related household injury by gender and age to 2009 Hong Kong Population Census were done. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify socio-demographic predictors.

6,570 household were interviewed. The overall person-based incidence rate of pet-related household injury in the past 12 months was 1.30% (n=84). The majority of the injured respondents were bitten by pets once (69.6%, 55/79). The majority of the injured respondents did not seek medical attention (98.4%, n=63/64). Pet owners were at an extremely higher risk when compared with non-pet owners for a pet-related injury, with an adjusted OR of 52.0 (95% CI: 22.1-98.7) after controlling for other factors. Females, young adults (aged 15-24), those unmarried, those with high education levels, those with high monthly household income, and those living in low-density housing were more likely to be injured by pets.

We report a pet-related injury incidence rate of 1.24% in the general Hong Kong population, with 86,334 residents sustaining a pet-related household injury every year. Pet ownership puts people at extremely high risk of this type of injury. Further studies should focus on educating pet owners to reduce pet-related injuries in urban Greater China.