Paws to Consider: The Relationship Between Dog Walking and Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines

PURPOSE: To determine the likelihood of meeting the aerobic component of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines (PAGs) for adults when comparing dog owners who walk their dogs versus those who do not. A systematic search of 10 databases from 1990 to 2011 was used. Total time spent in PA was used to compare dog owners who walk their dogs versus those who do not walk their dogs. A random effects model was used to estimate the unadjusted odds ratio and corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI) of persons who met PAGs when comparing dog owners who walk dogs versus those that do not Among 236 relevant articles, eight cross-sectional studies and one cohort study met inclusion criterion. These studies included 6980 dog owners aged 18 to 81 years old, 41% male, and among whom 63.9% (n=4463) reported walking their dogs. All but one study used self-reported PA. Based on total weekly time spent in PA, 2710 (60.7%) met the recommended PA guidelines among those who walked their dogs, and 950 (37.7%) among those who did not walk their dogs. The random effects estimated odds ratio was 2.74 with a 95% CI: 2.16-4.22. Almost 2 in 3 dog owners in this study report walking their dogs, and are 2.74 times more likely to have met recommended levels of weekly PA. Further research needs to consider whether adjustment for covariates affects this association. However, dog walking may be a viable strategy for dog owners to help reach recommended levels of PA.