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Christian H, Bauman A, Epping JN, Levine GN, McCormack G, Rhodes RE, Richards E, Rock M, Westgarth C. Encouraging Dog Walking for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Am J Lifestyle Med 2018; 12:233-243. [PMID: 30202393 PMCID: PMC6124971 DOI: 10.1177/1559827616643686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Regular physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits, including the prevention of many chronic diseases and conditions or a reduction in their adverse effects. Intervention studies suggest that promoting dog walking among dog owners who do not routinely walk their dogs may be an effective strategy for increasing and maintaining regular physical activity. Strategies that emphasize the value of dog walking for both dogs and people, promote the context-dependent repetition of dog walking, enhance the social-interaction benefits, encourage family dog walking, and ensure availability of public space for dog walking may encourage increased dog walking. Research also supports organizing buddy systems via "loaner" dogs to facilitate informal walking by dog owners and non-dog owners. Given the number of homes that have dogs, strategies that promote dog walking could be effective at increasing physical activity levels among a significant proportion of the population. Maximizing the potential for dog walking to positively influence the health of individual people (and dogs) will only occur through implementing programs with broad population-level reach. Policies that facilitate dog walking at the community and population levels, such as "dogs allowed" places, off-leash zones, and dog-friendly built environments and parks, may contribute to greater physical activity through dog walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Christian
- School of Population Health and Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia (HC)
- School of Public Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia (AB)
- International Dog Walking Activity Group (ID-WAG), Atlanta, Georgia (JNE)
- Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center, Houston, Texas (GNL)
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GM, MR)
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (RER)
- School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (ER)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK (CW)
| | - Adrian Bauman
- School of Population Health and Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia (HC)
- School of Public Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia (AB)
- International Dog Walking Activity Group (ID-WAG), Atlanta, Georgia (JNE)
- Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center, Houston, Texas (GNL)
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GM, MR)
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (RER)
- School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (ER)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK (CW)
| | - Jacqueline N Epping
- School of Population Health and Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia (HC)
- School of Public Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia (AB)
- International Dog Walking Activity Group (ID-WAG), Atlanta, Georgia (JNE)
- Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center, Houston, Texas (GNL)
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GM, MR)
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (RER)
- School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (ER)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK (CW)
| | - Glenn N Levine
- School of Population Health and Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia (HC)
- School of Public Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia (AB)
- International Dog Walking Activity Group (ID-WAG), Atlanta, Georgia (JNE)
- Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center, Houston, Texas (GNL)
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GM, MR)
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (RER)
- School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (ER)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK (CW)
| | - Gavin McCormack
- School of Population Health and Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia (HC)
- School of Public Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia (AB)
- International Dog Walking Activity Group (ID-WAG), Atlanta, Georgia (JNE)
- Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center, Houston, Texas (GNL)
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GM, MR)
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (RER)
- School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (ER)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK (CW)
| | - Ryan E Rhodes
- School of Population Health and Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia (HC)
- School of Public Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia (AB)
- International Dog Walking Activity Group (ID-WAG), Atlanta, Georgia (JNE)
- Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center, Houston, Texas (GNL)
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GM, MR)
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (RER)
- School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (ER)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK (CW)
| | - Elizabeth Richards
- School of Population Health and Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia (HC)
- School of Public Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia (AB)
- International Dog Walking Activity Group (ID-WAG), Atlanta, Georgia (JNE)
- Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center, Houston, Texas (GNL)
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GM, MR)
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (RER)
- School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (ER)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK (CW)
| | - Melanie Rock
- School of Population Health and Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia (HC)
- School of Public Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia (AB)
- International Dog Walking Activity Group (ID-WAG), Atlanta, Georgia (JNE)
- Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center, Houston, Texas (GNL)
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GM, MR)
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (RER)
- School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (ER)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK (CW)
| | - Carri Westgarth
- School of Population Health and Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia (HC)
- School of Public Health, Sydney University, Sydney, Australia (AB)
- International Dog Walking Activity Group (ID-WAG), Atlanta, Georgia (JNE)
- Baylor College of Medicine and Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center, Houston, Texas (GNL)
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (GM, MR)
- School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (RER)
- School of Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana (ER)
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, and School of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Neston, UK (CW)
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