Reiter und Pferdebesitzer in Deutschland: Sonderauswertung der AWA 2013 / Facts and figures on German equestrians: Special Analysis of the AWA Study 2013

Die vorliegenden Daten, die im Rahmen der Allensbacher Markt- und Werbeträgeranalyse (AWA 2013) durch das Institut für Demoskopie Allensbach erhoben wurden, lassen erstmals seit der Marktanalyse Pferdesportler in Deutschland aus dem Jahre 2001, besser bekannt als "IPOS-Studie", Rückschlüsse auf die Grundgesamtheit der Reiter und Pferdebesitzer in Deutschland zu. Mit mehr als 25.000 Befragten und einer repräsentativen Haushaltsstichprobe liegen damit aus unserer Sicht die besten derzeit verfügbaren Daten vor. Da der Pferdesport in Deutschland sich in einem Prozess vielfältiger Veränderungen befindet, sind aktuelle Zahlen von hoher Bedeutung. Marktdaten über die Pferdesportler von heute liegen derzeit jedoch nur vereinzelt vor - somit fehlen Unternehmen, Dienstleistern und Institutionen der Pferdebranche oftmals noch die nötige Informationsgrundlage für die Umsetzung eines effektiven, zielgruppenorientierten Marketings. Die Akteure der Branche stehen so vor der Aufgabe, ihre Kunden besser kennen zu lernen. Nur auf diesem Weg sind eine strategische Unternehmensausrichtung, optimale Kundenansprache und daraus resultierend langfristiger wirtschaftlicher Erfolg in dichter werdenden Märkten erzielbar. Der Lehrstuhl für Agrarmarketing am Department für Agrarökonomie und Rurale Entwicklung widmet sich daher in zahlreichen Studien den Zielgruppen und Entwicklungen innerhalb der Deutschen Pferdebranche; der vorliegende Beitrag liefert dabei einen grundlegenden Einblick in die Gruppe der Reiter und Pferdebesitzer in Deutschland.The present data have been collected within the framework of the Allensbach market and advertising media analysis (AWA 2013) by the Allensbach Institute for Public Opinion Research. For the first time since the Market Analysis of German Equestrians in 2001 - better known as the "IPOS-Study" - inferences into the population of horse owners and riders in Germany can be made based on the obtained data. With more than 25,000 participants and a representative sample of households, these are, from our perspective, the best available data at the present. As equestrianism in Germany is subject to a manifold process of change, the provision of current data is of great importance. However, market data regarding the equestrians of today are available in single cases only; therefore, companies, service providers and institutions of the horse industry frequently lack the necessary information basis for an effective and targetgroup oriented marketing. The actors of the industry are therefore faced with the task to gain a better understanding of their customers. Only in this way, a strategic alignment of the company, an optimal level of addressing clients and an resulting and long-lasting economic success facing todays tighter competition can be achieved. The Chair of Agricultural Marketing from the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development is therefore devoted to various studies about the target groups and developments within the German horse sector; the present contribution thereby provides basic insights into the group of the German riders and horse owners

Testicular Microlithiasis: Prevalence and Clinical Significance in a Population Referred for Scrotal Ultrasonography

Purpose: Testicular microlithiasis (TM) is an uncommon pathologic condition that is commonly diagnosed by scrotal ultrasonography. Indirect evidence suggests that this syndrome may be associated with an increased risk of testicular malignancy and infertility. Materials and Methods: A total of 1,439 patients undergoing scrotal ultrasound during a 6-year, 5-month period (January 2003 to May 2009) were retrospectively reviewed. Any possible association of TM with pathologic findings was assessed. Among patients with TM, further grading of TM with testicular cancer and semen analysis of the infertile group with TM were also performed. Results: TM was diagnosed in 87 patients (6.0%) out of a total of 1,439. Of all established pathologic entities, only testicular malignancy and infertility were meaningfully associated with TM. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of testicular cancer between each grade. Seminal profiles (sperm count, motility, morphology, and white blood cell count) were not found to be statistically different between infertile men with and without TM. Conclusions: The prevalence of TM in symptomatic men was found to be 6.0% with significant co-occurrence of TM, testicular cancer, and infertility. Further grading of TM does not seem to be essential with regard to the detection of patients with testicular cancer and TM. TM showed no significant effect on the seminal profiles of infertile men

Factors Influencing the Safety Behavior of German Equestrians: Attitudes towards Protective Equipment and Peer Behaviors

Human interactions with horses entail certain risks. Although the acceptance and use of protective gear is increasing, a high number of incidents and very low or inconsistent voluntary use of safety equipment are reported. While past studies have examined factors influencing the use of safety gear, they have explored neither their influence on the overall safety behavior, nor their relative influence in relation to each other. The aim of the present study is to fill this gap. We conducted an online survey with 2572 participants. By means of a subsequent multiple regression analysis, we explored 23 different variables in view of their influence on the protective behavior of equestrians. In total, we found 17 variables that exerted a significant influence. The results show that both having positive or negative attitudes towards safety products as well as the protective behavior of other horse owners or riding pupils from the stable have the strongest influence on the safety behavior of German equestrians. We consider such knowledge to be important for both scientists and practitioners, such as producers of protective gear or horse sport associations who might alter safety behavior in such a way that the number of horse-related injuries decreases in the long term

Staining patterns of keratins in the human urinary tract

The keratins, members of the intermediate filament family, are characteristically expressed in epithelial cells. In the various types of epithelia, the keratin expression pattern is characterized by cell-type specific combinations of the keratin isotypes with a plain pattern in monolayered (simple) epithelia and more complex patterns in stratified and pseudostratified epithelia. Here we demonstrate that the transitional epithelium of the human urinary tract holds an exceptional position between the pseudostratified and stratified epithelia. We show that the simple epithelia keratins 7, 8, 18 and 19 are expressed throughout the whole epithelium as known from pseudostratified epithelia. In addition, we demonstrate expression of keratins 5, 14 and 17, otherwise present in basal cells of multilayered epithelia, and keratins 4 and 13, present in suprabasal areas of non cornified multilayered epithelia. Moreover, we report differences in expression in the various morphological parts of the urinary tract which might be related to their specific functions. Keratin 20, a typical component of the simple epithelia of the digestive tract, is present in bladder and ureter but not in the renal pelvis. Keratin 6, typical for stratified epithelia, is found only in parts of the renal pelvis. We further show that changes in keratin pattern occur during the development from embryonic to adult bladder urothelium. In contrast to adult tissue, the simple type keratins 7, 8 and 18 are not synthesized in basal embryonic cells. Further, keratin 20, present in cells facing the bladder lumen in adult urothelium, is expressed in all but the basal cells in embryonic bladder

Factors influencing the attitude of equestrians towards sport horse welfare

AbstractUntil now, only a limited amount of research has been carried out on addressing attitudes towards sport horse welfare (AHW). In order to contribute to filling this gap, the goals of this study were two-fold: the investigation of the influence of different demographic factors and factors related to equestrianism on the AHW and the demonstration of the applicability of Partial Least Squares Equation Modelling (PLS) in this field of research. An online survey was conducted among 2,947 equestrians. A research model was established based on eleven factors, which were investigated for their potential influence on the AHW and their relationships to each other. This model was analysed by means of PLS which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been used before to investigate human attitudes towards horses (Equus caballus). The results show that the factors with the highest impacts on the AHW were the affection for animals, the attitude towards classically organised equestrianism and the utility orientation. Gender, income, agricultural background, tradition, brand orientation and the importance of breed and pedigree were also found to exert a significant influence on the AHW. In contrast, age and involvement in horse-riding as a hobby were found to have no effect on the AHW. Furthermore, several significant relationships could be identified among the different factors. In conclusion, the present study provides an insight into the factors influencing the complex AHW and demonstrates the applicability of the PLS for research in this field.</jats:p

Tierwohlbewusstsein und –verhalten von Reitern: Die Entwicklung eines Modells für das Tierwohlbewusstsein und –verhalten im Reitsport

Das Wohl von Nutztieren, aber auch das von Reitpferden, ist von immer größerem Interesse für viele Teile der Gesellschaft und Wissenschaft. Ein Großteil der Forschung in diesem Bereich beschäftigt sich dabei mit Einflussfaktoren auf die Einstellungen und das Verhalten von Menschen gegenüber Tieren. Es existiert jedoch ein Mangel an Studien, die versuchen die Zusammenhänge zwischen den einzelnen untersuchten Aspekten (z.B. Einstellungen, Wissen, emotionale Betroffenheit, Motive und Werte sowie weitere Einflussfaktoren und das Verhalten) in einem übergreifenden Modell zu vereinen. Anders stellt sich dies auf dem Gebiet der Umweltpsychologie dar, welches sich bereits seit längerem mit komplexeren Modellen der Umweltbewusstseins- und Umweltverhaltensforschung beschäftigt. Entsprechend ist das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie - basierend auf den Erkenntnissen der Umweltbewusstseinsforschung - ein umfassendes Modell für das Tierschutzbewusstsein und -verhalten von Reitern zu entwickeln. Dazu wurde eine Online-Umfrage unter 1.334 Pferdesportlern durchgeführt. Die erwarteten Modellzusammenhänge wurden mit Hilfe des Partial-Least-Squares-Verfahrens (PLS) überprüft. Die Ergebnisse zeigen eine insgesamt gute Eignung des Modells und, dass sowohl Einstellungen als auch das pferdebezogene Wissen im Hinblick auf das tierwohlrelevante Verhalten von Reitern eine große Rolle spielen. Ferner wurde letzteres vor allem vom Feedback über das eigene Verhalten sowie den vorhandenen Rahmenbedingungen beeinflusst. Als weitere signifikante direkte Einflussfaktoren stellten sich die Möglichkeit der Teilnahme an Fortbildungen, der Einfluss durch den Reitlehrer sowie durch den reitenden Bekanntenkreis, die berufliche Verbindung zum Pferdesport, der Pferdebesitz, intrinsische Reitsportmotive, die praktizierte Reitsportdisziplin sowie das Geschlecht heraus. Außerdem übten die emotionale Betroffenheit im Hinblick auf Tierschutzvorfälle im Reitsport, das Vorhandensein bestimmter umwelt- und tierbezogener Werte sowie die Bildung einen indirekten signifikanten Einfluss auf das tierwohlrelevante Verhalten aus