ArticlePediatric obesity2017
The association between dog ownership or dog walking and fitness or weight status in childhood.
Article in Pediatric obesity, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Dog-ownership and paediatric neurodevelopmental disorders; 'pawsitive' impact: a systematic review.Pediatric research · 2026Pooled it
- Association between Pet Ownership and Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Pooled it
- European dog owner perceptions of obesity and factors associated with human and canine obesity.Scientific reports · 2018Trial
- From furry friends to fit teens: unveiling the role of active dog breeds in shaping adolescent physical activity and screen time behaviors.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Feeding practices, purchasing behaviors, and their association with non-communicable diseases in dogs: Insights from Thai pet owners.Veterinary world · 2025Article
- Pet Ownership and Family Involvement in Sports and Other Activities.Anthrozoos · 2024Article
- Article
- Nature Relatedness of Recreational Horseback Riders and Its Association with Mood and Wellbeing.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Article
- Exploring Social Desirability Bias in Perceptions of Dog Adoption: All's Well that Ends Well? Or Does the Method of Adoption Matter?Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2018Article
- The association between dog ownership or dog walking and fitness or weight status in childhood.Pediatric obesity · 2017Article
- The Influence of Family Dog Ownership and Parental Perceived Built Environment Measures on Children's Physical Activity within the Washington, DC Area.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHealth benefits of dog walking are established in adults: dog owners are on average more physically active, and those walking their dogs regularly have lower weight status than those who do not. However, there has been little research on children.
objectivesThis study aimed to examine the association between dog ownership or dog walking and childhood fitness or weight status.
methodsA survey of pet ownership and involvement in dog walking was combined with fitness and weight status measurements of 1021 9 to 10-year-old children in the Liverpool SportsLinx study.
resultsWe found little evidence to support that children who live with, or walk with, dogs are any fitter or less likely to be obese than those who do not.
conclusionsThis is an important finding, as it suggests that the activity that children currently do with dogs is not sufficient enough to impact weight status or fitness.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.