Does dog-ownership influence walking patterns in different seasons?
Author Information
Author(s): Lail Parabhdeep, Gavin R McCormack, Melanie Rock
Primary Institution: University of Calgary
Hypothesis
Does dog-ownership influence seasonal patterns of neighbourhood-based walking among adults?
Conclusion
Dog-ownership may help owners stay active across seasons by encouraging more recreational walking.
Supporting Evidence
- Dog-owners reported more recreational walking than non-owners in both summer and winter.
- Dog-owners were three times more likely to consistently participate in recreational walking across seasons.
- Dog-owners' walking for recreation increased in winter, while non-owners' decreased.
Takeaway
Having a dog can make people walk more, even when it's cold outside.
Methodology
A cohort of adults completed postal surveys in winter and summer, comparing walking patterns between dog-owners and non-owners.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to loss of participants and self-reporting inaccuracies.
Limitations
Self-reported data may be affected by recall bias, and a significant portion of the original sample was lost to follow-up.
Participant Demographics
Average age of participants was 53 years; included 115 dog-owners and 313 non-owners, with a higher proportion of dog-owners being white and higher-income.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95%CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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