Knowledge, Attitude, And Practice Of Pet Insurance Among Pet Owners In Selangor, Malaysia

Pet insurance is a financial tool meant to provide financial support to pet owners for veterinary expenses. It was introduced to the Malaysian market in 2010 with several companies offering various subscription packages. However, the public awareness towards pet insurance is still considered low compared to other pet-related industries in Malaysia for the past 5 years. There is also a lack of research on the acceptance and adoption of pet insurance by pet owners in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to (i) assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of pet insurance among pet owners in Selangor, Malaysia, (ii) determine the associations of sociodemographic factors with the KAP, and (iii) determine the correlation between the level of KAP. KAP is widely used in studies to assess factors that can influence behavioral decisions, which in this case of pet insurance, can be used to identify barriers and opportunities to promote the adoption of pet insurance in Malaysia. In other words, knowledge in this case is the awareness of pet insurance, attitude is the perceptions and willingness to adopt pet insurance, and practice is the actual behaviours related to the usage of pet insurance. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Selangor, Malaysia, and 116 pet owners participated in this survey study. Data were subjected to descriptive analysis statistics, followed by Chi-square tests of association and Spearmans’ correlation analysis which were all done using IBM SPSS Statistic version 27.0. The results showed that most respondents have poor knowledge (n = 63, 54.3%), moderate attitude (n = 63, 54.3%), and poor practice (n = 87, 75.0%) of pet insurance. Significant associations were indicated between income range per month with knowledge and practice (p < 0.05), highest education level with attitude (p < 0.05), and locality of residence with practice (p < 0.05). There is a significant correlation between total knowledge and practice scores (r = 0.649). Poor knowledge of insurance among pet owners in Selangor indicated the need to further increase the awareness of pet owners on the benefits of pet insurance, through enhanced marketing and public education initiatives.
Keywords: Pet insurance, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Veterinary Care, Selangor