Participant recruitment support: parenthood & pets study

Summary

“Parenthood & pets: exploring the relationship of pets and families in the perinatal period” aims to better understand the impact of pets on wellbeing in the perinatal period to understand whether pets could be a helpful tool or a risk for stress management for new parents; the attachment bond between mothers, babies, and pets; and any impact on pet welfare in this time.

We are aiming to recruit as diverse a sample of experiences as possible and would be grateful if you could share this opportunity with families that you work with.

We are looking for parents who 1) can speak English and live in the UK, 2) are the birth parent, 3) are currently pregnant or have given birth to a child in the past 12 months, and 4) have a pet dog and/or cat.

Other study details include:

·       The study is short – it takes about 20 minutes to complete, with a further optional 20-minute section at the end

·       We are offering participants the opportunity to enter a monthly prize draw for a £25 Love2Shop voucher; any participants completing the second survey will receive another entry

·       All research is anonymous and the identity of participants will be protected

·       This study has been given a favourable review by the University of Edinburgh Ethics Committee

Our recruitment advertisement is attached, and the study can be found at https://edinburgh.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_29npWvRDzGX7Kdg.