Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Mar 4:11:148.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-148.

Does dog-ownership influence seasonal patterns of neighbourhood-based walking among adults? A longitudinal study

Parabhdeep Lail  1 , Gavin R McCormack, Melanie Rock
Affiliations

Does dog-ownership influence seasonal patterns of neighbourhood-based walking among adults? A longitudinal study

Parabhdeep Lail et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: In general dog-owners are more physically active than non-owners, however; it is not known whether dog-ownership can influence seasonal fluctuations in physical activity. This study examines whether dog-ownership influences summer and winter patterns of neighbourhood-based walking among adults living in Calgary, Canada.

Methods: A cohort of adults, randomly sampled from the Calgary metropolitan area, completed postal surveys in winter and summer 2008. Both winter and summer versions of the survey included questions on dog-ownership, walking for recreation, and walking for transportation in residential neighbourhoods. Participation in neighbourhood-based walking was compared, among dog-owners and non-owners, and in summer and winter, using general linear modeling. Stability of participation in neighbourhood-based walking across summer and winter among dog-owners and non-owners was also assessed, using logistic regression.

Results: A total of 428 participants participated in the study, of whom 115 indicated owning dogs at the time of both surveys. Dog-owners reported more walking for recreation in their neighbourhoods than did non-owners, both in summer and in winter. Dog-owners were also more likely than non-owners to report participation in walking for recreation in their neighbourhoods, in summer as well as in winter. Dog-owners and non-owners did not differ in the amount of walking that they reported for transportation, either in summer or in winter.

Conclusions: By acting as cues for physical activity, dogs may help their owners remain active across seasons. Policies and programs related to dog-ownership and dog-walking, such as dog-supportive housing and dog-supportive parks, may assist in enhancing population health by promoting physical activity.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of the sampling method and respondent participation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Byrne A, Byrne DG. The effect of exercise on depression, anxiety and other mood states: a review. J Psychosom Res. 1993;37(6):565–574. doi: 10.1016/0022-3999(93)90050-P. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kohl HW III. Physical activity and cardiovascular disease: evidence for a dose response. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2001;33(6):S472–S483. - PubMed
    1. Colberg SR. Physical activity, insulin action, and diabetes prevention and control. Curr Diabetes Rev. 2007;3(3):176–184. doi: 10.2174/157339907781368986. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Johannesson E, Simren M, Strid H, Bajor A, Sadik R. Physical Activity Improves Symptoms in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Gastroenterol. 2011. p. 4. - PubMed
    1. Jacka FN, Pasco JA, Williams LJ, Leslie ER, Dodd S, Nicholson GC, Kotowicz MA, Berk M. Lower levels of physical activity in childhood associated with adult depression. J Sci Med Sport. 2010. p. 10. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources