A cross-sectional study of frequency and factors associated with dog walking in 9–10 year old children in Liverpool, UK

BMC Public Health

Susan Dawson³  Sandra McCune⁶  Peter Bundred⁵  Karen P Coyne³  Rosalind M Gaskell³  Alexander J German¹  Gareth Stratton²  Lynne M Boddy⁴  Carri Westgarth³ 

[1] Institute of Ageing & Chronic Disease, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, Cheshire CH64 7TE, UK;Sport and Health Portfolio, College of Engineering Swansea University, 942c Talbot Building, Singleton Park, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK;School of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, Cheshire CH64 7TE, UK;Physical Activity, Exercise and Health Research Group, Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 2ET, UK;Institute of Psychology Health and Society, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Whelan Building, Quadrangle, Brownlow Hill L69 3GB, UK;WALTHAM® Centre for Pet Nutrition, Waltham-on-the-Wolds, Melton Mowbray, Leics LE14 4RT, UK

关键词: Attachment;    Children;    Walking;    Physical activity;    Dog;   

Others  :  1161814
DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-13-822

 received in 2013-05-17, accepted in 2013-09-04,  发布年份 2013

【 摘 要 】

Background

Owning a pet dog could potentially improve child health through encouraging participation in physical activity, through dog walking. However, evidence to support this is limited and conflicting. In particular, little is known about children’s participation in dog walking and factors that may be associated with this. The objective of this study was to describe the participation of children in dog walking, including their own and those belonging to somebody else, and investigate factors associated with regular walking with their own pet dog.

Methods

Primary school children (n=1021, 9–10 years) from a deprived area of Liverpool were surveyed during a ‘fitness fun day’ as part of the SportsLinx project. The ‘Child Lifestyle and Pets’ survey included questions about pet ownership, pet attachment, and dog walking. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate factors associated with walking any dog, or their own dog, several times a day or more, including level of attachment to the dog, dog type, and sociodemographic factors.

Results

Overall, 15.4% of children reported walking with any dog (their own or belonging to a friend or family member) ≥ once daily, 14.1% several times a week, 27.6% ≤ once a week, and 42.8% never. Dog owning children (37.1% of the population) more often reported dog walking ‘several times a week or more’ (OR=12.30, 95% CI=8.10-18.69, P<0.001) compared to those without a dog, but were less likely to report other walking without a dog. The majority (59.3%) of dog owning children indicated that they usually walked their dog, with 34.6% reporting that they walked their dog ≥ once daily. Attachment score was highly associated with the child reporting walking their dog (lower score=higher attachment; OR=0.93, 95% CI=0.89-0.96, P<0.001). There was no evidence that gender, ethnicity, sibling status or deprivation score was associated with dog walking. Children that reported owning Pit Bulls were more likely to report friends walking with their dog than those owning non-Pit bull types (OR=10.01, 95% CI=1.52-65.76, P=0.02, respectively).

Conclusions

Promotion of supervised walking of suitable pet dogs may be an opportunity for increasing physical activity in 9–10 year old children. The identification of stronger attachment to dogs regularly walked is similar to findings in adult studies.

【 授权许可】

   
2013 Westgarth et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 参考文献 】

• [1]McNicholas J, Gilbey A, Rennie A, Ahmedzai S, Dono J-A, Ormerod E: Pet ownership and human health: a brief review of evidence and issues. BMJ 2005, 331(7527):1252-1254.
• [2]O'Haire M: Companion animals and human health: benefits, challenges, and the road ahead. J Vet Behav 2010, 5:226-234.
• [3]Herzog H: The impact of pets on human health and psychological well-being: facto, fiction, or hypothesis? Curr Dir Psychol Sci 2011, 20:236-239.
• [4]McConnell AR, Brown CM, Shoda TM, Stayton LE, Martin CE: Friends with benefits: on the positive consequences of pet ownership. J Pers Soc Psychol 2011, 101(6):1239-1252.
• [5]Pet Population. 2011. http://www.pfma.org.uk/pet-population-2011/ webcite
• [6]Esposito L, McCune S, Griffin JA, Malholmes V: Directions in human-animal interaction research: child development, health and therapeutic interventions. Child Dev Perspect 2011, 5(3):205-211.
• [7]Cutt H, Giles-Corti B, Knuiman M, Burke V: Dog ownership, health and physical activity: a critical review of the literature. Health Place 2007, 13(1):261-272.
• [8]Cutt H, Giles-Corti B, Knuiman M, Timperio A, Bull F: Understanding dog owners' increased levels of physical activity: results from RESIDE. Am J Public Health 2008, 98(1):66-69.
• [9]Christian H, Westgarth C, Bauman A, Richards EA, Rhodes R, Evenson K, Mayer JA, Thorpe RJ: Dog ownership and physical activity: a review of the evidence. J Phys Act Health 2013, 10(5):750-759.
• [10]Coleman KJ, Rosenberg DE, Conway TL, Sallis JF, Saelens BE, Frank LD, Cain K: Physical activity, weight status, and neighborhood characteristics of dog walkers. Prev Med 2008, 47(3):309-312.
• [11]Get Fit with Fido Survey. http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/3233/23/5/3 webcite
• [12]Christian H, Giles-Corti B, Knuiman M: "I'm just a'-walking the dog" correlates of regular dog walking. Fam Community Health 2010, 33(1):44-52.
• [13]Brown SG, Rhodes RE: Relationships among dog ownership and leisure-time walking in western Canadian adults. Am J Prev Med 2006, 30(2):131-136.
• [14]Oka K, Shibata A: Prevalence and correlates of dog walking among japanese dog owners. J Phys Act Health 2011. In Press
• [15]Murray JK, Browne WJ, Roberts MA, Whitmarsh A, Gruffydd-Jones TJ: Number and ownership profiles of cats and dogs in the UK. Vet Rec 2010, 166(6):163-168.
• [16]Westgarth C, Pinchbeck GL, Bradshaw JWS, Dawson S, Gaskell RM, Christley RM: Factors associated with dog ownership and contact with dogs in a UK community. BMC Vet Res 2007, 3:5. BioMed Central Full Text
• [17]Yam P, Morrison R, Penpraze V, Westgarth C, Ward D, Mutrie N, Hutchison P, Young D, Reilly J: Children, parents, and pets exercising together (CPET) randomised controlled trial: Study rationale, design, and methods. BMC Public Health 2012, 12(1):208. BioMed Central Full Text
• [18]Salmon J, Timperio A, Chu B, Veitch J: Dog ownership, dog walking, and children's and parents' physical activity. Res Q Exerc Sport 2010, 81(3):264-271.
• [19]Timperio A, Salmon J, Chu B, Andrianopoulos N: Is dog ownership or dog walking associated with weight status in children and their parents? Health Promot J Austr 2008, 19(1):60-63.
• [20]Owen CG, Nightingale CM, Rudnicka AR, Ekelund U, McMinn AM, Van Sluijs EMF, Griffin SJ, Cook DG, Whincup PH: Family dog ownership and levels of physical activity in childhood: findings from the child heart and health study in England. Am J Public Health 2010, 100(9):1669-1671.
• [21]Westgarth C, Heron J, Ness AR, Bundred P, Gaskell RM, Coyne K, German AJ, McCune S, Dawson S: Is childhood obesity influenced by dog ownership? No cross-sectional or longitudinal evidence. Obes Facts 2012, 5(6):833-844.
• [22]Christian H, Trapp G, Lauritsen C, Wright K, Giles-Corti B: Understanding the relationship between dog ownership and children's physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Pediatr Obes 2013. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00113.x/abstract?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false webcite)
• [23]Carver A, Salmon J, Campbell K, Baur L, Garnett S, Crawford D: How do perceptions of local neighborhood relate to adolescents' walking and cycling? Am J Health Promot 2005, 20(2):139-147.
• [24]Boddy LM, Hackett AF, Stratton G: Changes in fitness, body mass index and obesity in 9–10 year olds. J Hum Nutr Diet 2010, 23(3):254-259.
• [25]Taylor S, Hackett A, Stratton G, Lamb L: SportsLinx: improving the health and fitness of Liverpool's youth. Edu Health 2004, 22:3-7.
• [26]Westgarth C, Boddy L, Stratton G, German A, Gaskell R, Coyne K, Bundred P, McCune S, Dawson S: Pet ownership, dog types and attachment to pets in 9–10 year old children in Liverpool, UK. BMC Vet Res 2013, 9(1):102. BioMed Central Full Text
• [27]Holcomb R, Williams RC, Richards PS: The elements of attachment: relationship maintainance and intimacy. J Delta Soc 1985, 2:28-34.
• [28]Maher J, Pierpoint H: Friends, status symbols and weapons: the use of dogs by youth groups and youth gangs. Crime Law Soc Change 2011, 55(5):405-420.
• [29]Mattocks C, Deere K, Leary S, Ness A, Tilling K, Blair SN, Riddoch C: Early life determinants of physical activity in 11 to 12 year olds: cohort study. Br J Sports Med 2008, 42(9):721-724.
• [30]DoH: Start Active, Stay Active: A report on physical activity from the four home countries’ Chief Medical Officers. London: Department of Health; 2011.
• [31]Cleland V, Timperio A, Salmon J, Hume C, Telford A, Crawford D: A longitudinal study of the family physical activity environment and physical activity among youth. Am J Health Promot 2011, 25(3):159-167.
• [32]Conner M, Norman P: Predicting Health Behaviour: A Social Cognition Approach. In Predicting Health Behaviour. 2nd edition. Edited by Conner M. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education; 2005:1-21.
• [33]Westgarth C, Pinchbeck GL, Bradshaw JWS, Dawson S, Gaskell RM, Christley RM: Who owns cats? – Factors associated with cat ownership in a UK community. Vet Rec 2010, 166:354-357.
• [34]Downes M, Canty MJ, More SJ: Demography of the pet dog and cat population on the island of Ireland and human factors influencing pet ownership. Prev Vet Med 2009, 92(1–2):140-149.
• [35]Westgarth C, Heron J, Ness AR, Bundred P, Gaskell RM, Coyne KP, German AJ, McCune S, Dawson S: Pet ownership during childhood: findings from a UK birth cohort and implications for public health research. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2010, 7(10):3704-3729.
• [36]Cutt HE, Giles-Corti B, Wood LJ, Knuiman MW, Burke V: Barriers and motivators for owners walking their dog: results from qualitative research. Health Promot J Austr 2008, 19(2):118-124.
• [37]Voith VL: The impact of companion animal problems on society and the role of veterinarians. Vet Clin North America-Small Anim Pract 2009, 39(2):327-345.
• [38]Toohey AM, Rock MJ: Unleashing their potential: a critical realist scoping review of the influence of dogs on physical activity for dog-owners and non-owners. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 2011, 8:46. BioMed Central Full Text