Depression among pet owners and non-pet owners: a comparative cross-sectional study in Dhaka, Bangladesh

<ns4:p> <ns4:bold>Background:</ns4:bold> Depression is a major contributor to overall global disease burden, often beginning in the teenage years and continuing into later life. Previous studies have reported high global rates of depression during these formative years, including in Bangladesh. At the same time, the therapeutic effect that pet ownership can have on depression is increasingly being recognized. However, studies examining these effects in Bangladesh are scarce. This study examined the association between household pet ownership and depression among people older than 13 years in Dhaka, Bangladesh. </ns4:p> <ns4:p> <ns4:bold>Methods:</ns4:bold> A cross-sectional study was conducted using online and offline approaches. We used a snowball sampling technique to identify pet owners aged greater than 13 years residing in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Both web-based…