Open AccessFamily Dog Ownership and Levels of Physical Activity in Childhood: Findings From the Child Heart and Health Study in England
Author(s) -
Christopher G. Owen,
Claire M Nightingale,
Alicja R. Rudnicka,
Ulf Ekelund,
Alison M. McMinn,
Esther M. F. van Sluijs,
Simon J. Griffin,
Derek G Cook,
Peter H. Whincup
Publication year - 2010
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.2009.188193
Subject(s) - physical activity , confidence interval , medicine , demography , association (psychology) , psychology , physical therapy , sociology , psychotherapist
Dog ownership is associated with higher physical activity levels in adults; whether this association occurs in children is unknown. We used accelerometry to examine physical activity levels in 2065 children aged 9 to 10 years. Children from dog-owning families spent more time in light or moderate to vigorous physical activity and recorded higher levels of activity counts per minute (25; 95% confidence interval [CI]=6, 44) and steps per day (357; 95% CI=14, 701) than did children without dogs.