"I'm Just a'-Walking the Dog" correlates of regular dog walking.
Intrapersonal and environmental factors associated with dog walking (N = 483) were examined. A greater proportion of regular (80%) than irregular (59%) dog walkers met the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Owners who perceived greater social support and motivation from their dogs to walk, and who had access to a dog-supportive park within their neighborhood, were more likely to regularly walk with their dogs, even after adjustment for other well-known correlates of physical activity. The higher level of physical activity of regular dog walkers can be attributed to the additional walking these owners perform with their dogs.
Christian nee Cutt
Hayley
H
Centre for the Built Environment and Health, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia. hayley.christian@uwa.edu.au
Giles-Corti
Billie
B
Knuiman
Matthew
M
D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D057805:Pets; D011998:Recreation; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014904:Western Australia