Repeatability and validity of a combined mail and telephone questionnaire on demographics, diet, exercise and health status in an insured-dog population.

The validity and repeatability of a telephone questionnaire on demographics, diet, living patterns, exercise and health status in a well-defined dog population was assessed. Randomly selected dogs aged 1-3 years in the largest animal-insurance database of Sweden were included in the study. The repeatability was measured by doing two identical interviews with 64 dog owners on average 39 (S.D. 17) days apart. The overall response percentage was 66% (64/97). The repeatabilities for demographic data were excellent (r(sp) 0.82-1.00), and dietary intake and feeding patterns correlated well between interviews (r(sp) 0.66-0.99, kappa 0.57-0.95). However, correlations for the frequency and daily intake of specific table foods had a wide range (r(sp) 0.06-0.97). The energy and specific nutrient intakes had high repeatabilities (r(sp) 0.72-0.79). Dog owners were quite consistent in reporting living patterns, exercise and dog-training activities (r(sp) 0.65-0.94, kappa 0.43-0.88), except for number of walks per day (r(sp) 0.50). The repeatabilities also were excellent for the evaluation of health status (r(sp) 0.78-0.99, kappa 0.81-1.00). The questionnaire also was compared to a 7-day weighed record of total food intake and registration of exercise to give data on the validity. The questionnaire was given 62 (S.D. 19) days before the weighed registrations, and the overall response percentage was 76% (58/76). Correlations for the frequency and amount of commercial feeds given were high (0.81-0.92), although correlations for specific table foods had a wider range (0.03-0.81). Correlations for total energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate intakes were between 0.80 and 0.85 in the total diet, and 0.79-0.85 in the commercial part of the diet. The correlations for frequency and amount of exercise ranged between 0.50 and 0.77. Corresponding correlations for training activities (such as hunting, tracking, and obedience) were 0.51-0.68.

Demographic data of a population of insured Swedish dogs measured in a questionnaire study.

Dogs, in the age range 1-3 years old, were randomly selected from the largest animal insurance database in Sweden for inclusion in the study. The study was performed in 1997, and a total of 680 dog owners were selected for the study. A total of 461 dog owners completed the survey, at an overall response rate of 68%. Data was compared to a recent gallup performed on a sample of all dogs in Sweden. The demographic statistics of the insured dog population were in many aspects similar to the total dog population of Sweden. Typical for both insured dogs and the total population of dogs were a low proportion of neutered dogs, that many dogs were bought at an early age, that many dogs were in contact with a "breeder" when sold, and a similar profile of health status. However, "dog breeders" seemed to have their dogs insured to a higher extent than the general dog owner. It was concluded that as the populations were alike in many respects, it is reasonable to use the insurance database for epidemiological studies on diet and exercise in Swedish dogs.