TITLE:
Assessing the Intensity of Dog Walking and Impact on Overall Physical Activity: A Pilot Study Using Accelerometry
AUTHORS:
Elizabeth A. Richards, Philip J. Troped, Eunjung Lim
KEYWORDS:
Physical Activity, Exercise, Pets, Physical Activity Assessment, Accelerometry
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Preventive Medicine,
Vol.4 No.7,
July
11,
2014
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Despite
a growing body of research indicating that dog walking contributes to meeting
physical activity (PA) guidelines, this literature is limited by the use of
self-report measures of dog walking and overall PA. The objectives of this
pilot study were to objectively assess dog walking with accelerometry,
characterize the frequency, duration, and intensity of dog walking, and
determine the contribution of dog walking to overall moderate-vigorous physical
activity (MVPA). Methods: Sixty-five dog owners wore an Actigraph GT3X
accelerometer for up to 7 consecutive days and recorded start/end times for dog
walks with daily log sheets. Each minute with an activity count ≥ 760 was classified
as MVPA. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize all variables. Logistic
regression was used to examine associations between dog walking MVPA bouts and
meeting PA guidelines, controlling for age, education, income, and gender.
Results: Participants walked their dog an average of 1.2 ± 1.1 times/day,
averaged 28.0 ± 15.6 minutes/walk, and accumulated 22.9 ± 17.5 minutes of
MVPA/day during dog walks, of which 21.7 ± 17.9 minutes were accumulated in
bouts ≥10 minutes. Seventy-eight percent of dog walking was classified as
moderate-intensity and 3.5% was vigorous. Dog walking MVPA had a statistically
significant positive association with meeting PA guidelines (OR = 2.32; 95% CI =
1.06, 5.08). Conclusions: The majority of dog walking minutes were moderate-intensity
and most minutes of MVPA during dog walking occurred in bouts. These findings
suggest that dog walking is consistent with current PA guidelines for adults
and should receive more consideration as a PA promotion strategy.