Open AccessUnderstanding Dog Owners’ Increased Levels of Physical Activity: Results From RESIDE
Author(s) -
Hayley E. Cutt,
Billie Giles-Corti,
Matthew Knuiman,
Anna Timperio,
Fiona Bull
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
american journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.284
H-Index - 264
eISSN - 1541-0048
pISSN - 0090-0036
DOI - 10.2105/ajph.2006.103499
Subject(s) - intrapersonal communication , physical activity , odds , hubzero , odds ratio , cross sectional study , environmental health , animal assisted therapy , medicine , demography , psychology , pet therapy , animal welfare , physical therapy , logistic regression , social psychology , biology , interpersonal communication , ecology , pathology , sociology
We examined the influence of dog ownership on physical activity, independent of demographic, intrapersonal, and perceived environmental factors, in a cross-sectional survey of 1813 adults. Although only 23% of the dog owners walked their dogs 5 or more times per week, the adjusted odds of achieving sufficient physical activity and walking were 57% to 77% higher among dog owners compared with those not owning dogs (P< .05). Dog ownership was independently associated with physical activity and walking. Actively encouraging more dog walking may increase community physical activity levels.