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Exploring human behavior change in equine welfare: Insights from a COM-B analysis of the UK’s equine obesity epidemic.
Abstract: While equine obesity is understood by equine professionals to be a serious and widespread welfare problem, thus far approaches to reducing the prevalence of obesity in the UK's leisure horses have mainly been limited to educating owners about the dangers of obesity in their horses. In human health, approaches to behavior change encourage holistic thinking around human behavior, recognizing the importance of the connection between the individuals' knowledge, attitudes, habits, and the social and physical environments. This study used qualitative data from interviews with horse owners and professionals, open-access discussion fora and focus groups in order to collate extensive information about the factors shaping the UK's equine obesity crisis. The data were initially analyzed using a grounded theory method to determine the common themes, and were then analyzed using the COM-B model of behavior change, in order to identify areas where human behavior change might be better supported. The analysis highlighted the importance of a holistic approach to behavior change, since all areas of the COM-B were important in limiting owners' recognition of, and response to, equine obesity. For example, environments and social norms limited the likelihood of owners proactively managing horse weight, and owners also found it difficult to identify overweight horses, and evaluate the risks of long-term health issues as a result of weight, with short-term negative impacts of weight management. While interventions often aim to educate owners into changing their behavior, this analysis highlights the importance of creative and holistic approaches which work alongside the owners' motivations, while shaping the social and physical environments.
Copyright © 2022 Furtado, Perkins, Pinchbeck, McGowan, Watkins and Christley.
Publication Date: 2022-11-08 PubMed ID: 36425120PubMed Central: PMC9681534DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.961537Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research explores the factors contributing to equine obesity in the UK and suggests a holistic behavior change strategy for horse owners based on the COM-B model. The study uses qualitative data from various sources to inform its findings and recommendations.
Objectives and Methodology
The paper sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors contributing to the wide-spread equine obesity in the UK. It used qualitative data from various sources including interviews with horse owners and professionals, open-access discussion fora, and focus groups.
- The researchers used the grounded theory method to initially analyze the data and identify common themes.
- The recognized themes were further examined using the COM-B model of behavior change to identify areas where support for human behavior change could be encouraged effectively.
Key Findings
The study revealed the significance of a comprehensive approach to behavior change, with factors from all areas of the COM-B model playing a role in how horse owners recognize and respond to equine obesity.
- It found that the social environment and prevailing norms could influence whether owners take active steps to manage their horse’s weight.
- The study also identified difficulties among the horse owners in acknowledging overweight horses and understanding the associated long-term health risks.
- The immediate, short-term negative impacts of weight management also posed a challenge to horse owners.
Implications and Suggestions
The research emphasizes that interventions should not be focused solely on educating horse owners to change their behavior.
- In addition to providing owners with knowledge and awareness, it is vital to create a supportive social and physical environment that aligns with their motivations, thereby facilitating better management of equine obesity.
- The researchers advocate for creative, holistic approaches to encouraging horse owners towards behavior change, which can prove to be more effective in addressing and mitigating the UK’s equine obesity crisis.
Cite This Article
APA
Furtado T, Perkins E, Pinchbeck G, McGowan C, Watkins F, Christley R.
(2022).
Exploring human behavior change in equine welfare: Insights from a COM-B analysis of the UK’s equine obesity epidemic.
Front Vet Sci, 9, 961537.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2022.961537 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Institute of Population Health Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Institute of Population Health Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Dogs Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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