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Health Promotion Journal of AustraliaApril 2008   Volume 19, No 1

Anna Timperio, Jo Salmon, Binh Chu and Nick Andrianopoulos

Issue addressed: Several studies have shown that dog owners do more physical activity than non-owners; however, associations with weight status are unknown. This study examined associations between dog ownership, frequency of dog walking and weight status among children and their parents.

Methods: Height and weight were measured for 281 children aged 5-6 years and 864 children aged 10-12 years. One parent reported their own and their partner's height and weight (n=1,108), dog ownership, usual frequency their child walks a dog, and usual frequency of walking the dog as a family. Logistic regression analyses were adjusted for sex (children only), physical activity, education, neighbourhood SES, parental weight status (children only) and clustering by school.

Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 5(Supplement), January 2008

Hayley E. Cutt, Billie Giles-Corti, Matthew W. Knuiman, Terri J. Pikora

Background: This study aimed to develop a reliable instrument, the Dogs and Physical Activity (DAPA) tool, for measuring important attributes and scales relating to the dog-walking behavior of dog owners. Methods: Items measuring dog-specific individual, social environmental, physical environmental, and policy-related factors that affect dog owners' walking with their dogs were assessed for test-retest reliability. Factor analysis was undertaken to demonstrate that the collection of test items had underlying constructs consistent with the theoretical framework. Results: DAPA-tool items had test-retest reliability scores >.7, indicating a high level of stability. Distinct general and dog-specific constructs of subscales measuring dog-supportive features of parks, barriers to dog walking, and behavioral beliefs about the outcomes of regular dog walking were demonstrated through factor analysis. Conclusions: The DAPA tool is the first comprehensive, reliable tool for measuring important attributes and scales relating to dog owners' physical activity and the context-specific factors that affect owners' walking with their dogs.

 American Journal of Public Health 66-69

January 2008, Vol 98, No. 1

Hayley Cutt, BSc, Billie Giles-Corti, PhD, Matthew Knuiman, PhD, Anna Timperio, PhD and Fiona Bull, PhD  Hayley Cutt, Billie Giles-Corti, Matthew Knuiman, and Fiona Bull are with the School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley. Anna Timperio is with the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia.

Health & Place
Volume 13, Issue 1, March 2007, Pages 261-272

Hayley Cutt, Billie Giles-Corti, Matthew Knuiman

The RESIDE Project, School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia

 Preventive Medicine, Volume 46, Issue 2, February 2008, Pages 120-126

Hayley Cutt, Billie Giles-Corti, Matthew Knuiman

Objective.

To identify factors associated with owners not walking with their dog.

Method.

Dog owners (n = 629) taking part in the RESIDE study, Perth, Western Australia completed a self-administered questionnaire in 2005-06 that included items about the dog, dog-owner relationship, dog walking and intrapersonal and environmental factors associated with dog walking. Physical activity data were also collected using NPAQ.

Results.

Overall, 23% of dog owners did not walk with their dog. More dog walkers achieved 150 min of physical activity/week than owners who did not walk with their dog (72% vs. 44%, p < 0.001). Not walking with a dog was significantly more likely in owners who did not perceive that their dog provided motivation (OR 9.60, 95% CI: 4.37, 21.08) or social support (OR 10.84, 95% CI: 5.15, 22.80) to walk, independent of other well-known correlates of physical activity.

In the fast pace of modern life, humans are experiencing health challenges at an unprecedented rate. Disease as a consequence of lifestyle is now common and is predicted to steadily rise. Obesity, mental illness and physical inactivity are all creating an increasing burden on our economy. Turning this trend around will require new thinking.

Research in public health has shown that restoring our connections with each other and with our environment will have benefits for individual health and for the community as a whole.

We now know that some of the simplest pleasures in our lives are among the most important to our health and wellbeing. Walking in our neighbourhood, interacting with people and animals, enjoying the natural environment have all been shown to play a significant role in supporting physical and mental health.

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2008, 5:17

Hayley E Cutt , Matthew W Knuiman  and Billie Giles-Corti

School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia

 http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/5/1/17