Dog ownership and physical activity: a review of the evidence.
Open accessAbstract
BACKGROUND: Dog walking is a strategy for increasing population levels of physical activity (PA). Numerous cross-sectional studies of the relationship between dog ownership and PA have been conducted. The purpose was to review studies comparing PA of dog owners (DO) to nondog owners (NDO), summarize the prevalence of dog walking, and provide recommendations for research. METHODS: A review of published studies (1990-2010) examining DO and NDO PA and the prevalence of dog walking was conducted (N = 29). Studies estimating the relationship between dog ownership and PA were grouped to create a point- estimate using meta-analysis. RESULTS: Most studies were conducted in the last 5 years, were cross-sectional, and sampled adults from Australia or the United States. Approximately 60% of DO walked their dog, with a median duration and frequency of 160 minutes/week and 4 walks/week, respectively. Meta-analysis showed DO engage in more walking and PA than NDO and the effect sizes are small to moderate (d = 0.26 and d = 0.16, respectively). Three studies provided evidence of a directional relationship between dog ownership and walking. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal and interventional studies would provide stronger causal evidence for the relationship between dog ownership and PA. Improved knowledge of factors associated with dog walking will guide intervention research.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Owning and walking a dog is recognized as contributing to human health.
“Owning and walking a dog is recognized as contributing to human health (34, 35).”
From The Evolution of Psychological and Behavioral Consequences of Self-Isolation During Lockdown: A Longitudinal Study Across United Kingdom and Italy (2022) · cites this paper as [34]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Marmot, M. G., Allen, J., Goldblatt, P., Boyce, T., McNeish, D., Grady, M., & Geddes, I. (2010) · Europe PMC (PubMed Central) · Cited by 1,404 · see citing works
Understanding environmental influences on walking
Owen, N. G., Humpel, N., Leslie, E. R., Bauman, A. E., & Sallis, J. F. (2004) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2004.03.006 · Cited by 1,307 · see citing works
Self-citationEspinosa, J. C. (2004) · Cited by 939 · see citing works
Giles‐Corti, B., Timperio, A. F., Bull, F., & Pikora, T. (2005) · Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews · doi:10.1097/00003677-200510000-00005 · Cited by 689 · see citing works
Giles‐Corti, B., & Donovan, R. J. (2003) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.93.9.1583 · Cited by 607 · see citing works
Beneficial Effects of Pet Ownership on Some Aspects of Human Health and Behaviour
Serpell, J. A. (1991) · Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine · doi:10.1177/014107689108401208 · Cited by 494 · see citing works
Dog ownership, health and physical activity: A critical review of the literature
Christian, H. E., Giles‐Corti, B., Knuiman, M. W., & Burke, V. (2006) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2006.01.003 · Cited by 346 · see citing works
Self-citationAt least five a week: Evidence on the impact of physical activity and its relationship to health
(2004) · PsycEXTRA Dataset · doi:10.1037/e591412009-001 · Cited by 305 · see citing works
Ball, K., Timperio, A. F., Salmon, J., Giles‐Corti, B., Roberts, R. J., & Crawford, D. A. (2007) · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech.2006.048520 · Cited by 239 · see citing works
Harris, T. J., Owen, C. G., Victor, C. R., Adams, R., & Cook, D. G. (2008) · British Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1136/bjsm.2008.048033 · Cited by 236 · see citing works
Relationships Among Dog Ownership and Leisure-Time Walking in Western Canadian Adults
Brown, S. G., & Rhodes, R. E. (2006) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2005.10.007 · Cited by 227 · see citing works
Self-citationFeatures of the neighborhood environment and walking by U.S. adults
Suminski, R. R., Jr., Poston, W. S. C., Petosa, R. L., Stevens, E. C., & Katzenmoyer, L. (2005) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2004.09.009 · Cited by 205 · see citing works
The epidemiology of dog walking: an unmet need for human and canine health
Bauman, A. E., Russell, S. J., Furber, S. E., & Dobson, A. J. (2001) · The Medical Journal of Australia · doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143757.x · Cited by 203 · see citing works
Self-citationHeadey, B. (1999) · Social Indicators Research · doi:10.1023/a:1006892908532 · Cited by 201 · see citing works
Dog Ownership, Walking Behavior, and Maintained Mobility in Late Life
Thorpe, R. J., Simonsick, E. M., Brach, J. S., Ayonayon, H. N., Satterfield, S., Harris, T. B., García, M., Kritchevsky, S. B., & for the Health, A. A. B. C. S. (2006) · Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · doi:10.1111/j.1532-5415.2006.00856.x · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Self-citationUnderstanding Dog Owners’ Increased Levels of Physical Activity: Results From RESIDE
Christian, H. E., Giles‐Corti, B., Knuiman, M. W., Timperio, A. F., & Bull, F. (2007) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2006.103499 · Cited by 171 · see citing works
Self-citationAttributes of Environments Supporting Walking
Moudon, A. V., Lee, C., Cheadle, A. D., Garvin, C. C., Johnson, D. B., Schmid, T. L., & Weathers, R. D. (2007) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.4278/0890-1171-21.5.448 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Physical activity, weight status, and neighborhood characteristics of dog walkers
Coleman, K. J., Rosenberg, D. E., Conway, T. L., Sallis, J. F., Saelens, B. E., Frank, L. D., & Cain, K. L. (2008) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2008.05.007 · Cited by 163 · see citing works
Pet Ownership May Be a Factor in Improved Health of the Elderly
Dembicki, D., & Anderson, J. E. (1996) · Journal of Nutrition for the Elderly · doi:10.1300/j052v15n03_02 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Prevalence of Self-Reported Physically Active Adults—United States, 2007
(2009) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2009.246 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
People or places: What should be the target?
Giles‐Corti, B. (2006) · Journal of science and medicine in sport · doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2006.06.021 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Does getting a dog increase recreational walking?
Christian, H. E., Knuiman, M. W., & Giles‐Corti, B. (2008) · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · doi:10.1186/1479-5868-5-17 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Self-citationEncouraging physical activity through dog walking: Why don't some owners walk with their dog?
Christian, H. E., Giles‐Corti, B., & Knuiman, M. W. (2007) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.08.015 · Cited by 122 · see citing works
Self-citationWestgarth, C., Heron, J., Ness, A., Bundred, P. E., Gaskell, R. M., Coyne, K. P., German, A. J., McCune, S., & Dawson, S. (2010) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph7103704 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Self-citationDog walking: Its association with physical activity guideline adherence and its correlates
Hoerster, K. D., Mayer, J. A., Sallis, J. F., Pizzi, N., Talley, S., Pichon, L. C., & Butler, D. A. (2010) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2010.10.011 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
Self-citationDog Ownership, Dog Walking, and Children's and Parents' Physical Activity
Salmon, J., Timperio, A. F., Chu, B., & Veitch, J. (2010) · Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport · doi:10.1080/02701367.2010.10599674 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Physical Activity and Pet Ownership in Year 3 of the Health ABC Study
Thorpe, R. J., Kreisle, R. A., Glickman, L. T., Simonsick, E. M., Newman, A. B., & Kritchevsky, S. B. (2006) · Journal of Aging and Physical Activity · doi:10.1123/japa.14.2.154 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Self-citationRohlf, V., Toukhsati, S. R., Coleman, G. J., & Bennett, P. C. (2010) · Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science · doi:10.1080/10888705.2010.483871 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Dog-Walking: Motivation for Adherence to a Walking Program
Johnson, R. A., & Meadows, R. L. (2010) · Clinical Nursing Research · doi:10.1177/1054773810373122 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Dog Ownership and Health-Related Physical Activity Among Japanese Adults
Oka, K., & Shibata, A. (2009) · Journal of Physical Activity and Health · doi:10.1123/jpah.6.4.412 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Owen, C. G., Nightingale, C. M., Rudnicka, A. R., Ekelund, U., McMinn, A. M., van Sluijs, E. M. F., Griffin, S. J., Cook, D. G., & Whincup, P. H. (2010) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2009.188193 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
Walking the Dog: Is Pet Ownership Associated With Physical Activity in California?
Yabroff, K. R., Troiano, R. P., & Berrigan, D. A. (2008) · Journal of Physical Activity and Health · doi:10.1123/jpah.5.2.216 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
Living with Companion Animals, Physical Activity and Mortality in a U.S. National Cohort
Gillum, R. F., & Obisesan, T. O. (2010) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph7062452 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Dog ownership and human health-related physical activity: an epidemiological study
Schofield, G., Mummery, K. W., & Steele, R. M. (2005) · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · doi:10.1071/he05015 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Potential Benefits of Pet Ownership in Health Promotion
Jennings, L. B. (1997) · Journal of Holistic Nursing · doi:10.1177/089801019701500404 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Dog walking and physical activity in the United States.
Ham, S. A., & Epping, J. N. (2006) · Europe PMC (PubMed Central) · Cited by 78 · see citing works
“I'm Just a'-Walking the Dog” Correlates of Regular Dog Walking
Christian, H. E., Giles‐Corti, B., & Knuiman, M. W. (2010) · Family & Community Health · doi:10.1097/fch.0b013e3181c4e208 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Self-citationDog behaviour on walks and the effect of use of the leash
Westgarth, C., Christley, R., Pinchbeck, G. L., Gaskell, R. M., Dawson, S., & Bradshaw, J. W. S. (2010) · Applied Animal Behaviour Science · doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2010.03.007 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Self-citationIs dog ownership or dog walking associated with weight status in children and their parents?
Timperio, A. F., Salmon, J., Chu, B., & Andrianopoulos, N. (2008) · Health Promotion Journal of Australia · doi:10.1071/he08060 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Older Latinos, Pets, and Health
Johnson, R. A., & Meadows, R. L. (2002) · Western Journal of Nursing Research · doi:10.1177/019394502320555377 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Walking Behaviors Reported in the American Time Use Survey 2003–2005
Tudor‐Locke, C., & Ham, S. A. (2008) · Journal of Physical Activity and Health · doi:10.1123/jpah.5.5.633 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Perceived barriers to walking for physical activity.
Dunton, G. F., & Schneider, M. L. (2006) · PubMed Central · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Physiologie and Behavioral Responses to Companion Animais
Katcher, A. H. (1985) · Veterinary Clinics of North America Small Animal Practice · doi:10.1016/s0195-5616(85)50312-5 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Effects of dogs on human health
Allen, D. T. (1997) · Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association · doi:10.2460/javma.1997.210.8.1136 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
3 People or places: what should be the target?
Giles‐Corti, B. (2005) · Journal of science and medicine in sport · doi:10.1016/s1440-2440(17)30498-x · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Merom, D., Bowles, H. R., & Bauman, A. E. (2009) · Journal of Physical Activity and Health · doi:10.1123/jpah.6.s1.s81 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Self-citationDog Ownership, Dog Walking, and Children's and Parents' Physical Activity
Salmon, J., Timperio, A. F., Chu, B., et al. (2010) · Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport · doi:10.5641/027013610x13088573596023 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Katcher AH. Physiologic and behavioural responses to companion animals. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Prac. 1985;152:403-410.
- Conner M, Norman P. Predicting Health Behaviour: A Social Cognition Approach. In: Conner M, Ed. Predicting Health Behaviour. 2nd ed. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education; 2005:1-21.
- Marmot M. Fair Society, Healthy Lives: The Marmot Review Executive Summary: The Marmot Review; 2010.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Pet Ownership and Cardiovascular Risk: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Levine, G. N., Allen, K., Braun, L. T., Christian, H. E., Friedmann, E., Taubert, K. A., Thomas, S. A., Wells, D. L., & Lange, R. A. (2013) · Circulation · doi:10.1161/cir.0b013e31829201e1 · Cited by 299 · see citing works
Self-citationAstell‐Burt, T., Hartig, T., Putra, I. G. N. E., Walsan, R., Dendup, T., & Feng, X. (2022) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157521 · Cited by 216 · see citing works
Lamond, J. E., & Everett, G. (2019) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.103639 · Cited by 199 · see citing works
Applebaum, J. W., Tomlinson, C. A., Matijczak, A., McDonald, S. E., & Zsembik, B. A. (2020) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani10101882 · Cited by 191 · see citing works
Westgarth, C., Christley, R., & Christian, H. E. (2014) · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · doi:10.1186/1479-5868-11-83 · Cited by 181 · see citing works
Self-citationThe State of Research on Human–Animal Relations: Implications for Human Health
Wells, D. L. (2019) · Anthrozoös · doi:10.1080/08927936.2019.1569902 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
(Just) a walk with the dog? Animal geographies and negotiating walking spaces
Fletcher, T., & Platt, L. C. (2016) · Social & Cultural Geography · doi:10.1080/14649365.2016.1274047 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Dog ownership and the risk of cardiovascular disease and death – a nationwide cohort study
Mubanga, M., Byberg, L., Nowak, C., Egenvall, A., Magnusson, P. K. E., Ingelsson, E., & Fall, T. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-16118-6 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Westgarth, C., Christley, R., Jewell, C., German, A. J., Boddy, L. M., & Christian, H. E. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-41254-6 · Cited by 150 · see citing works
Self-citationDall, P., Ellis, S. L. H., Ellis, B., Grant, P., Colyer, A., Gee, N. R., Granat, M. H., & Mills, D. S. (2017) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4422-5 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Toohey, A. M., McCormack, G. R., Doyle–Baker, P. K., Adams, C. L., & Rock, M. J. (2013) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2013.03.007 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Dog Walking, the Human–Animal Bond and Older Adults’ Physical Health
Curl, A., Bibbo, J., & Johnson, R. A. (2016) · The gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnw051 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Encouraging Dog Walking for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Christian, H. E., Bauman, A. E., Epping, J. N., Levine, G. N., McCormack, G. R., Rhodes, R. E., Richards, E. A., Rock, M. J., & Westgarth, C. (2016) · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · doi:10.1177/1559827616643686 · Cited by 117 · see citing works
Self-citationWestgarth, C., Christley, R., Marvin, G., & Perkins, E. (2017) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph14080936 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Self-citationPublic health ethics and more-than-human solidarity
Rock, M. J., & Degeling, C. (2014) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.05.050 · Cited by 112 · see citing works
Pet’s influence on humans’ daily physical activity and mental health: a meta-analysis
Martins, C. F., Soares, J., Cortinhas, A., Silva, L. R., Cardoso, L., Pires, M. A., & Mota, M. P. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1196199 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Kramer, C. K., Mehmood, S., & Suen, R. S. (2019) · Circulation Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes · doi:10.1161/circoutcomes.119.005554 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Ogata, N. (2016) · Journal of Veterinary Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2016.02.005 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
European dog owner perceptions of obesity and factors associated with human and canine obesity
Muñoz-Prieto, A., Nielsen, L. R., Dąbrowski, R., Bjørnvad, C. R., Söder, J., Lamy, E., Monkeviciene, I., Ljubić, B. B., Vasiu, I., Savic, S., et al. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-31532-0 · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Pet Ownership Patterns and Successful Aging Outcomes in Community Dwelling Older Adults
Friedmann, E., Gee, N. R., Simonsick, E. M., Studenski, S. A., Resnick, B. M., Barr, E. A., Kitner‐Triolo, M. H., & Hackney, A. J. (2020) · Frontiers in Veterinary Science · doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.00293 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Pet ownership and psychological well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic
Amiot, C. E., Gagné, C., & Bastian, B. B. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-10019-z · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Energy Requirements of Adult Dogs: A Meta-Analysis
Bermingham, E. N., Thomas, D. G., Cave, N. J., Morris, P. J., Butterwick, R. F., & German, A. J. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0109681 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Park Proximity and Use for Physical Activity among Urban Residents: Associations with Mental Health
Orstad, S. L., Szuhany, K. L., Tamura, K., Thorpe, L. E., & Jay, M. R. (2020) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph17134885 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Powell, L., Chia, D., McGreevy, P. D., Podberscek, A. L., Edwards, K. M., Neilly, B., Guastella, A. J., Lee, V., & Stamatakis, E. A. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0200276 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Dog ownership and physical activity in later life: A cross-sectional observational study
Feng, Z., Dibben, C. J. L., Witham, M. D., Donnan, P. T., Vadiveloo, T., Sniehotta, F. F., Crombie, I. K., & McMurdo, M. E. T. (2014) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.06.004 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Taniguchi, Y., Seino, S., Nishi, M., Tomine, Y., Tanaka, I., Yokoyama, Y., Amano, H., Kitamura, A., & Shinkai, S. (2018) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0206399 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
Physical activity patterns in urban neighbourhood parks: insights from a multiple case study
McCormack, G. R., Rock, M. J., Swanson, K. C., Burton, L., & Massolo, A. (2014) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-962 · Cited by 75 · see citing works
Pet Dogs and Children’s Health: Opportunities for Chronic Disease Prevention?
Gadomski, A., Scribani, M., Krupa, N. L., Jenkins, P., Nagykaldi, Z. J., & Olson, A. L. (2015) · Preventing Chronic Disease · doi:10.5888/pcd12.150204 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Christian, H. E., Trapp, G., Lauritsen, C., Wright, K. P., & Giles‐Corti, B. (2012) · Pediatric Obesity · doi:10.1111/j.2047-6310.2012.00113.x · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Self-citationEtxarri, A. A., Gimeno‐Santos, E., Barberán-García, A., Benet, M., Borrell, E., Dadvand, P., Foraster, M., Marín, A., Monteagudo, M., Rodriguez‐Roisin, R., et al. (2017) · Thorax · doi:10.1136/thoraxjnl-2016-209209 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
The influence of spending time outside on experience of nature and environmental attitudes
Colléony, A., White, R. L., & Shwartz, A. (2019) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.03.010 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Powell, L., Guastella, A. J., McGreevy, P., Bauman, A., Edwards, K. M., & Stamatakis, E. (2019) · Journal of Veterinary Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2018.10.008 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Self-citationKogan, L. R., Hellyer, P. W., Duncan, C., & Schoenfeld-Tacher, R. M. (2017) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.043 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
Individual and environmental factors associated with green exercise in urban and suburban areas
Pyky, R., Neuvonen, M., Kangas, K., Ojala, A., Lanki, T., Borodulin, K., & Tyrväinen, L. (2019) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2018.11.001 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Dog walking is associated with more outdoor play and independent mobility for children
Christian, H. E., Trapp, G., Villanueva, K., Zubrick, S. R., Koekemoer, R., & Giles‐Corti, B. (2014) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.08.002 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Experience of Teleworking with Dogs and Cats in the United States during COVID-19
Hoffman, C. L. (2021) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani11020268 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
“Because dogs commonly motivate their owners to get outside for walks [18], dogs also may enhance physical activity among teleworkers, particularly if the lack of a commute increases the amount of time teleworkers have available to engage in physical activity.”
Relationships between dog ownership and physical activity in postmenopausal women
Garcia, D. O., Wertheim, B. C., Manson, J. E., Chlebowski, R. T., Volpe, S. L., Howard, B. V., Stefanick, M. L., & Thomson, C. A. (2014) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2014.10.030 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Christian, H. E., Wood, L. J., Nathan, A., Kawachi, I. I., Houghton, S. J., Martin, K., & McCune, S. (2016) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3659-8 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Self-citationInfluence of the Source of Social Support and Size of Social Network on All-Cause Mortality
Becofsky, K. M., Shook, R. P., Sui, X., Wilcox, S., Lavie, C. J., & Blair, S. N. (2015) · Mayo Clinic Proceedings · doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2015.04.007 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
The effects of assistance dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing: A systematic literature review
Rodriguez, K. E., Greer, J., Yatcilla, J., Beck, A. M., & O’Haire, M. E. (2020) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0243302 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Children, parents and pets exercising together (CPET): exploratory randomised controlled trial
Morrison, R. B. I., Reilly, J. J., Penpraze, V., Westgarth, C., Ward, D. S., Mutrie, N., Hutchison, P., Young, D., McNicol, L., Calvert, M., et al. (2013) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-1096 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Self-citationDog walking among adolescents: Correlates and contribution to physical activity
Engelberg, J. K., Carlson, J., Conway, T. L., Cain, K. L., Saelens, B. E., Glanz, K., Frank, L. D., & Sallis, J. F. (2015) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.11.011 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Lim, C., & Rhodes, R. E. (2016) · Psychology of sport and exercise · doi:10.1016/j.psychsport.2016.01.004 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Self-citationWalking as urban outdoor recreation: Public health for everyone
Nordh, H., Vistad, O. I., Skår, M., Wold, L. C., & Bærum, K. M. (2017) · Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism · doi:10.1016/j.jort.2017.09.005 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Pickup, E., German, A. J., Blackwell, E. J., Evans, M., & Westgarth, C. (2017) · Journal of Nutritional Science · doi:10.1017/jns.2017.7 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Self-citationFactors associated with daily walking of dogs
Westgarth, C., Christian, H. E., & Christley, R. (2015) · BMC Veterinary Research · doi:10.1186/s12917-015-0434-5 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
Self-citationMcDonald, S. E., Matijczak, A., Nicotera, N., Applebaum, J. W., Kremer, L., Natoli, G., O’Ryan, R., Booth, L. J., Murphy, J. L., Tomlinson, C. A., et al. (2021) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/21676968211025340 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Neighbourhood greenspace is related to physical activity in England, but only for dog owners
White, M. P., Elliott, L. R., Wheeler, B. W., & Fleming, L. E. (2018) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2018.01.004 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Psychosocial and environmental factors associated with dog-walking
Richards, E. A., McDonough, M. H., Edwards, N. E., Lyle, R. M., & Troped, P. J. (2013) · International Journal of Health Promotion and Education · doi:10.1080/14635240.2013.802546 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Self-citationWu, Y., Luben, R., & Jones, A. (2017) · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech-2017-208987 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Caffrey, N., Rock, M. J., Schmidtz, O., Anderson, D., Parkinson, M., & Checkley, S. (2019) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani9060324 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Policies on pets for healthy cities: a conceptual framework
Rock, M. J., Adams, C. L., Degeling, C., Massolo, A., & McCormack, G. R. (2014) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/dau017 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Dog Walking before and during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown: experiences of Uk dog owners.
Owczarczak-Garstecka, S. C., Graham, T. M., Archer, D. C., & Westgarth, C. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18126315 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Self-citationJansen, M., Ettema, D., Pierik, F. H., & Dijst, M. (2016) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph13030287 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Campbell, K., Smith, C., Tumilty, S., Cameron, C., & Treharne, G. J. (2016) · Anthrozoös · doi:10.1080/08927936.2015.1082770 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Westgarth, C., Boddy, L. M., Stratton, G., German, A. J., Gaskell, R. M., Coyne, K. P., Bundred, P. E., McCune, S., & Dawson, S. (2013) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-822 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citationUnderstanding action control of daily walking behavior among dog owners: a community survey
Rhodes, R. E., & Lim, C. (2016) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3814-2 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Self-citationJanevic, M. R., Shute, V., Connell, C. M., Piette, J. D., Goesling, J., & Fynke, J. (2019) · Journal of Applied Gerontology · doi:10.1177/0733464819856270 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Functional and recreational dog walking practices in the UK
Westgarth, C., Christley, R., Marvin, G., & Perkins, E. (2020) · Health Promotion International · doi:10.1093/heapro/daaa051 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Self-citationPowell, L., Edwards, K. M., Michael, S., McGreevy, P., Bauman, A., Guastella, A. J., Drayton, B., & Stamatakis, E. (2020) · Anthrozoös · doi:10.1080/08927936.2020.1694310 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Self-citationTsuboya, T., Aida, J., Hikichi, H., Subramanian, S. V., Kondo, K., Osaka, K., & Kawachi, I. I. (2017) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2017.01.022 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
The State of Assessment in Human-Animal Interaction Research
Rodriguez, K. E., Guérin, N. A., Gabriels, R. L., Serpell, J., Schreiner, P., & O’Haire, M. (2018) · Human-animal interaction bulletin · doi:10.1079/hai.2018.0022 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Odds of Getting Adequate Physical Activity by Dog Walking
Soares, J., Epping, J. N., Owens, C. J., Brown, D. R., Lankford, T. J., Simões, E. J., & Caspersen, C. J. (2014) · Journal of Physical Activity and Health · doi:10.1123/jpah.2013-0229 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Companion Animal Ownership and Human Well-Being in a Metropolis—The Case of Hong Kong
Wong, P. W. C., Yu, R. W. M., & Ngai, J. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16101729 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Dog ownership, the natural outdoor environment and health: a cross-sectional study
Zijlema, W. L., Christian, H. E., Mas, M. T., Cirach, M., van den Berg, M., Maas, J., Gidlow, C. J., Kruize, H., Wendel‐Vos, W., Andrušaitytė, S., et al. (2019) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023000 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Self-citationAssociation of Dog and Cat Ownership with Incident Frailty among Community-Dwelling Elderly Japanese
Taniguchi, Y., Seino, S., Nishi, M., Tomine, Y., Tanaka, I., Yokoyama, Y., Ikeuchi, T., Kitamura, A., & Shinkai, S. (2019) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-019-54955-9 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Belshaw, Z., Dean, R. S., & Asher, L. (2020) · BMC Veterinary Research · doi:10.1186/s12917-020-02293-8 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Public Health Considerations Associated with the Location and Operation of Off-Leash Dog Parks
Rahim, T., Barrios, P. R., McKee, G. R., McLaws, M., & Kosatsky, T. (2017) · Journal of Community Health · doi:10.1007/s10900-017-0428-2 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Richards, E. A., Troped, P. J., & Lim, E. (2014) · Open Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.4236/ojpm.2014.47062 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Self-citationDog Ownership and Mortality in England: A Pooled Analysis of Six Population-based Cohorts
Ding, D., Bauman, A. E., Sherrington, C., McGreevy, P. D., Edwards, K. M., & Stamatakis, E. A. (2017) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2017.09.012 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Self-citationRhodes, R. E., Baranova, M. A., Christian, H. E., & Westgarth, C. (2020) · British Journal of Sports Medicine · doi:10.1136/bjsports-2019-101156 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Self-citationLinder, D. E., Santiago, S., & Halbreich, E. D. (2021) · Frontiers in Veterinary Science · doi:10.3389/fvets.2021.654617 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Suarez, L., Bautista-Castaño, I., Romera, C. P., Montoya-Alonso, J. A., & Sánchez, J. A. C. (2022) · Veterinary Sciences · doi:10.3390/vetsci9050243 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
McCormack, G. R., Graham, T. M., Swanson, K. C., Massolo, A., & Rock, M. J. (2016) · SSM - Population Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2016.03.002 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Dog-walking in dense compact areas: The role of neighbourhood built environment
Koohsari, M. J., Nakaya, T., McCormack, G. R., Shibata, A., Ishii, K., Yasunaga, A., Liao, Y., & Oka, K. (2019) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2019.102242 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Papini, N. M., Yang, C., Do, B., Mason, T. B., & Lopez, N. V. (2020) · International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology · doi:10.1080/1750984x.2020.1858439 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
An Online Social Network to Increase Walking in Dog Owners
Schneider, K. L., Murphy, D. A., Ferrara, C. M., Oleski, J. L., Panza, E. A., Savage, C. P., Gada, K., Bozzella, B., Olendzki, E., Kern, D., et al. (2014) · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000000441 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Dog ownership and adults’ objectively-assessed sedentary behaviour and physical activity
Koohsari, M. J., Shibata, A., Ishii, K., Kurosawa, S., Yasunaga, A., Hanibuchi, T., Nakaya, T., McCormack, G. R., & Oka, K. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-020-74365-6 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
Oyama, M. A., Citron, L. E., Justine Shults, A., Brown, D. C., Serpell, J. A., & Farrar, J. T. (2017) · Anthrozoös · doi:10.1080/08927936.2016.1228774 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Urban Blue Spaces as Therapeutic Landscapes: “A Slice of Nature in the City”
Smith, N., Foley, R., Georgiou, M., Tieges, Z., & CHASTIN, S. F. M. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph192215018 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
The shared risk of diabetes between dog and cat owners and their pets: register based cohort study
Delicano, R. A., Hammar, U., Egenvall, A., Westgarth, C., Mubanga, M., Byberg, L., Fall, T., & Kennedy, B. (2020) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.m4337 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Self-citationVancampfort, D., Binder, M. D., Herdt, A. D., Soundy, A., Stubbs, B., Bernard, P., & Probst, M. (2013) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2013.11.011 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Dog ownership and all-cause mortality in a population cohort in Norway: The HUNT study
Torske, M. O., Krokstad, S., Stamatakis, E. A., & Bauman, A. E. (2017) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0179832 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Self-citationJoseph, N., Chandramohan, A. K., Dsouza, A. L., Basavanna Shekar, C., Hariram, S., & Nayak, A. H. (2019) · Journal of Veterinary Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2019.06.009 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Christian, H. E., Wenden, E. J., Ng, M., & Maitland, C. (2022) · Preventive Medicine Reports · doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101753 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Self-citationThe Impact of Sustained Ownership of a Pet on Cognitive Health: A Population-Based Study
Applebaum, J. W., Shieu, M. M., McDonald, S. E., Dunietz, G. L., & Braley, T. J. (2022) · Journal of Aging and Health · doi:10.1177/08982643221122641 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Understanding how dogs encourage and motivate walking: cross-sectional findings from RESIDE
Westgarth, C., Knuiman, M. W., & Christian, H. E. (2016) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3660-2 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Self-citationJohansen, P. H., Fisker, J. K., & Thuesen, A. A. (2021) · Geoforum · doi:10.1016/j.geoforum.2021.01.025 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Carlisle, G. K., Johnson, R. A., Mazurek, M. O., Bibbo, J. L., Tocco, F., & Cameron, G. T. (2017) · Journal of Family Social Work · doi:10.1080/10522158.2017.1394413 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Physical activity benefits from taking your dog to the park
Veitch, J., Christian, H. E., Carver, A., & Salmon, J. (2019) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2019.02.013 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Self-citationGee, N. R., Reed, T., Whiting, A., Friedmann, E., Snellgrove, D., & Sloman, K. A. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16173113 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Hoffman, C. L., Browne, M., & Smith, B. P. (2020) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani10020278 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Friedmann, E., Gee, N. R., Simonsick, E. M., Barr, E. A., Resnick, B. M., Werthman, E., & Adesanya, I. (2022) · Innovation in Aging · doi:10.1093/geroni/igac080 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Who Goes to Metropolitan Parks? A Latent Class Analysis Approach to Understanding Park Visitation
Veitch, J., Wang, W., Salmon, J., Carver, A., Giles‐Corti, B., & Timperio, A. F. (2017) · Leisure Sciences · doi:10.1080/01490400.2017.1325798 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Stray Dogs and Public Health: Population Estimation in Punjab, India
Gill, G. S., Singh, B. B., Dhand, N. K., Aulakh, R. S., Ward, M. P., & Brookes, V. (2022) · Veterinary Sciences · doi:10.3390/vetsci9020075 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Dog ownership and mental health among community‐dwelling older adults: A systematic review
Maurice, C., Engels, C., Canouï‐Poitrine, F., Lemogne, C., Fromantin, I., & Poitrine, E. (2022) · International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/gps.5815 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Does Dog Walking Predict Physical Activity Participation
Richards, E. A. (2016) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/0890117116646335 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Self-citationThe association between dog ownership or dog walking and fitness or weight status in childhood
Westgarth, C., Boddy, L. M., Stratton, G., German, A. J., Gaskell, R. M., Coyne, K. P., Bundred, P. E., McCune, S., & Dawson, S. (2016) · Pediatric Obesity · doi:10.1111/ijpo.12176 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Self-citationPotter, K., Teng, J. E., Masteller, B. R., Rajala, C., & Balzer, L. B. (2019) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani9090666 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Doyle, E. E. H., Becker, J., Neely, D. P., Johnston, D. M., & Pepperell, B. (2015) · Cited by 23 · see citing works
- Authors
- Christian, H. E., Westgarth, C., Bauman, A., Richards, E. A., Rhodes, R. E., Evenson, K. R., Mayer, J. A., & Thorpe, R. J.
- Affiliations
- The University of Western Australia (AU)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Physical Activity and Health
- Publisher
- Human Kinetics
- Published
- 2013-07
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 750-759
- ISSN
- 1543-3080 (ISSN-L)
- 1543-5474
- OpenAlex
- W2167476990
- Cited by
- 316
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 2.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Physical Activity and Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
- Purdue e-Pubs (Purdue University System) (submittedVersion)
- UWA Profiles and Research Repository (UWA) (submittedVersion)
- UNC Libraries
- Funders
- Medical Research Council
- National Health and Medical Research Council (458668)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Transportation › Urban Transport and Accessibility
- Keywords
- dog ownership, dog walking, physical activity, walking, pet ownership, physical activity interventions
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Animals, Australia, Dogs, Humans, Middle Aged, Recreation, United States, Meta-Analysis as Topic, Exercise, Prevalence, Walking, Pets
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
