Influence of socio-demographic and experiential factors on the attitudes of Croatian veterinary students towards farm animal welfare

The aim of this study was to examine the factors influencing the attitudes of veterinary students in Croatia toward farm animal welfare. The survey was carried out at the only faculty of veterinary medicine in Croatia and included students from all years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate study programme. The response rate was 91% (n = 505 subjects). According to the socio-demographic and experiential factors observed, females, students in their initial years of study, younger students with urban backgrounds, non-religious/non-spiritual students and vegetarians, and those intending to work with companion animals expressed more concerned attitudes regarding farm animal welfare (all P < 0.05). The type of secondary school completed, family monthly income and previous experience with farm or pet animals had no impact on student attitudes. The results of the study point to a variety of factors influencing veterinary student attitudes towards farm animal welfare. A recognition of these factors can contribute considerably to increasing student awareness of farm animal welfare. These results provide a basis for further research into the factors influencing veterinary attitudes to animal welfare and the complexity of their interactions.

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Opinions towards Companion Animals and Their Welfare: A Survey of Croatian Veterinary Students

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10020199 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 199 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Tomislav Mikuš ◽

Mario Ostović ◽

Ivana Sabolek ◽

Kristina Matković ◽

Željko Pavičić ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Veterinary Medicine ◽

Animal Welfare ◽

Companion Animals ◽

First Year ◽

The European Union ◽

Veterinary Students ◽

First Year Students ◽

Study Programme ◽

Study Results ◽

Before And After

This survey was the first one investigating opinions of veterinary students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, with special reference to dogs and cats as the most popular companion animals in the European Union. The study included students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate veterinary medicine study programme in Croatia. First-year students were surveyed twice, before and after having attended the course on animal welfare. Student opinions were assessed on the basis of their mean responses to five-point Likert scale questions and frequency of responses to Yes/No/I do not know questions and ratio scale questions. Study results revealed students to have strongly positive opinions towards companion animals and their welfare. The majority of student statements did not differ significantly between the first and sixth study years or before and after having attended the animal welfare course in the first study year, mostly yielding a straight, non-fluctuating line. Students were not sure whether welfare of companion dogs and cats was compromised. Study results pointed to reliable and reasonable opinions of veterinary medicine students in Croatia towards companion animals and their welfare, as well as to the welfare issues these species may be facing nowadays.

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Animal science student attitudes to farm animal welfare

Anthrozoös ◽

10.2752/089279306785593883 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 3-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Camie R. Heleski ◽

Adroaldo J. Zanella

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

Farm Animal ◽

Science Student ◽

Farm Animal Welfare ◽

Animal Science

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317 Survey of veterinary student attitudes toward animal welfare and pain

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz258.012 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 7-7

Author(s):

Miriam S Martin ◽

Angela Baysinger ◽

Abbie Viscardi ◽

Michael Kleinhenz ◽

Lily Edwards-Callaway ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

The United States ◽

Veterinary Students ◽

Area Of Interest ◽

Pain Scores ◽

Veterinary Student ◽

Ethics Course ◽

Veterinary School ◽

Veterinary Curriculum

Abstract Discrepancies in the background and training of veterinarians regarding the painfulness of procedures across species may impact their decision to use analgesia. The objective of this study was to investigate veterinary student attitudes toward pain and animal welfare. An electronic survey instrument was developed to assess demographic information, perceptions of animal welfare, concern with specific animal welfare issues, and estimation of pain scores on a scale of 1–10 for certain procedures and conditions. A subset of 131 responses from veterinary students were analyzed from an ongoing study involving 14 colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States and Canada. Results suggest that females believed more strongly that an animal welfare and ethics course should be part of the veterinary curriculum than males (P = 0.03). Respondent preparedness to discuss certain welfare topics differed based on background (farm/ranch, rural or urban community) (P ≤ 0.03) and year of veterinary school (P ≤ 0.02). Respondent willingness to administer pain management also differed by background (P = 0.04). Whether respondents had observed a veterinarian in practice properly administer pain medication to a food animal also differed by area of interest, background, and year in veterinary school (P ≤ 0.03). Assigned pain scores for bovine dystocia, bovine acute metritis, canine tail docking and porcine castration also differed by background (P ≤ 0.03). These data show that gender, background and the year of veterinary school should be considered when developing and standardizing the delivery of animal welfare topics across the veterinary curriculum.

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Attitudes of veterinary students in Croatia toward farm animal welfare

Animal Welfare ◽

10.7120/09627286.25.1.021 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 21-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

M Ostović ◽

Ž Mesić ◽

T Mikuš ◽

K Matković ◽

Ž Pavičić

Keyword(s):

Animal Welfare ◽

Farm Animal ◽

Farm Animal Welfare ◽

Veterinary Students

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Regional differences in the attitudes of veterinary students in Croatia towards welfare of farm and companion animals

Veterinarska stanica ◽

10.46419/vs.52.1.5 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 52 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ivana Sabolek ◽

Mario Ostović ◽

Tomislav Mikuš ◽

Željko Pavičić ◽

Kristina Matković ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

Foreign Students ◽

Regional Differences ◽

Companion Animals ◽

Thought Process ◽

Veterinary Students ◽

Study Programme ◽

Study Results ◽

Level Of Concern

The aim of this study was to examine the attitudes of veterinary students in Croatia based on their home region towards the level of cognitive abilities and welfare in farm and companion animals. The survey encompassed 505 (91%) students of all six years of the integrated undergraduate and graduate study programme at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. Student attitudes were examined through 17 statements using fivepoint Likert scale. The survey was focused on cattle, pigs, poultry, dogs and cats. The results obtained revealed that students from Zagreb and central Croatia expressed significantly higher attitudes (P<0.05) towards the level of thought process in cattle, pigs, dogs and cats, and the level of welfare in pigs than students from eastern Croatia and Dalmatia. Foreign students expressed the highest level of concern about the welfare of laying hens, and the lowest about the welfare of dogs and cats. Students from Lika and Gorski Kotar expressed the highest level of concern about the welfare of dogs and cats. No regional differences were determined in student attitudes towards the level of emotions in the observed species. The study results confirmed the existence of regional differences in the attitudes of Croatian veterinary students towards the welfare of farm and companion animals. The findings suggest that these differences may not only be the result of cultural differences among Croatian regions, but veterinary students may also increasingly encounter welfare issues in certain regions, especially in the case of companion animals.

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