TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2008//
TI  - Physical activity, weight status, and neighborhood characteristics of dog walkers
JO  - Preventive medicine
A1  - Conway, Terry L.
A1  - Rosenberg, Dori E.
A1  - Coleman, Karen J.
A1  - Cain, K.
A1  - Frank, Lawrence D.
A1  - Saelens, Brian E.
A1  - Sallis, James F.
SP  - 309
EP  - 312
VL  - 47
IS  - 3
N2  - OBJECTIVE: This study examined how demographics, physical activity, weight status, and neighborhood characteristics varied among households with and without dogs. METHOD: Participants aged 20 to 65 years (n=2199, 52% male, 75% white, mean age=45) were recruited from 32 neighborhoods in the Seattle, WA and Baltimore, MD regions during 2002-2005. Dog ownership, dog walking, education, height, weight, and family income were self-reported. Minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured objectively by 7-day accelerometry. RESULTS: Dog walking was associated with a higher proportion of participants who met national recommendations for MVPA (53%) when compared to those who had but did not walk their dog (33%) and to non-dog owners (46%). There were significantly fewer obese dog walkers (17%) when compared to both owners who did not walk their dogs (28%) and non-owners (22%). Dog owners who walked their dogs were more likely to live in high-walkable neighborhoods when compared to dog owners who did not walk their dogs. CONCLUSION: Dog walking may promote physical activity and contribute to weight control. Dog walking appears to be a mechanism by which residents of high-walkable neighborhoods obtain their physical activity.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0091-7435
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2008.05.007
ID  - ref1
ER  -