title: Relationships between dog ownership and physical activity in postmenopausal women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Positive associations between dog ownership and physical activity in older adults have been previously reported.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to examine cross-sectional associations between dog ownership and physical activity measures in a well-characterized, diverse sample of postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses included 36,984 dog owners (mean age: 61.5years), and 115,645 non-dog owners (mean age: 63.9years) enrolled in a clinical trial or the observational study of the Women's Health Initiative between 1993 and 1998. Logistic regression models were used to test for associations between dog ownership and physical activity, adjusted for potential confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Owning a dog was associated with a higher likelihood of walking ≥150min/wk (Odds Ratio, 1.14; 95% Confidence Interval, 1.10-1.17) and a lower likelihood of being sedentary ≥8h/day (Odds Ratio, 0.86; 95% Confidence Interval, 0.83-0.89) as compared to not owning a dog. However, dog owners were less likely to meet ≥7.5MET-h/wk of total physical activity as compared to non-dog owners (Odds Ratio, 1.03; 95% Confidence Interval, 1.00-1.07).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dog ownership is associated with increased physical activity in older women, particularly among women living alone. Health promotion efforts aimed at older adults should highlight the benefits of regular dog walking for both dog owners and non-dog owners.
authors.affiliation: Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention and Health Promotion, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Division of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Arizona, 3950S. Country Club, Suite 330, Tucson, AZ 85714, United States. Electronic address: davidogarcia@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: David O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.affiliation: University of Arizona Cancer Center, 1501N. Campbell Avenue, PO Box 245017, Tucson, AZ 85724, United States. Electronic address: bwertheim@azcc.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Betsy C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Wertheim
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, United States; Lee Bell Professor of Women's Health, Harvard Medical School, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, 3rd Floor, Boston, MA 02215, United States. Electronic address: jmanson@rics.bwh.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: JoAnn E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Manson
authors.affiliation: Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, 1124 West Carson Street J-3, Mailbox 453, Torrance, CA 90502, United States. Electronic address: rowanchlebowski@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Rowan T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Chlebowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Sciences, Drexel University, 245N. 15th Street, Bellet 521, Mail Stop 1030, Philadelphia, PA 19102, United States. Electronic address: Stella.L.Volpe@drexel.edu.
authors.forename: Stella L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.affiliation: MedStar Research Institute, 6525 Belcrest Road, Suite 700, Hyattsville, MD 20782, United States. Electronic address: Barbara.V.Howard@Medstar.net.
authors.forename: Barbara V
authors.initials: BV
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Medical School Office Building, 1265 Welch Road, Mail Code 5411, Stanford, CA 94305, United States. Electronic address: stefanick@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Marcia L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Stefanick
authors.affiliation: Canyon Ranch Center for Prevention and Health Promotion, Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Division of Health Promotion Sciences, University of Arizona, 3950S. Country Club, Suite 330, Tucson, AZ 85714, United States. Electronic address: cthomson@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010067:Ownership; D057805:Pets; D017698:Postmenopause; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D057566:Self Report; D014481:United States; D016138:Walking / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Dog walking; Health promotion; Older adults; Physical activity; Sedentary lifestyle