title: Dog ownership and adolescent physical activity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Positive associations between dog ownership and adult health outcomes have been observed, but research involving youth is lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of family dog ownership to adolescent physical activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected on dog ownership in 618 adolescent/parent pairs between 9/2006 and 6/2008 and analyzed in 2010. Adolescent physical activity was assessed by ActiGraph accelerometers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adolescents' mean age was 14.6±1.8 years and 49% were male. White and higher-SES adolescents were more likely to own a dog. In models adjusted for age, puberty, gender, race, total household members, and SES, adolescent physical activity (mean counts·min(-1)day(-1)) remained significantly associated with dog ownership (β=24.3, SE=12.4, p=0.05), whereas the association with minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day became nonsignificant (β=2.2, SE=1.2, p=0.07). No significant results were observed for other adolescent characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dog ownership was associated with more physical activity among adolescents. Further research using longitudinal data will help clarify the role that dog ownership may have on adolescent physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Kinesiology Program, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, 210 Emmet Street South, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA. jrs2wq@virginia.edu
authors.forename: John R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sirard
authors.forename: Carrie D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Patnode
authors.forename: Mary O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Hearst
authors.forename: Melissa N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Laska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057805:Pets; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016138:Walking; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data