ArticleScientific reports2019
Dog owners are more likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without a dog: An investigation of the association between dog ownership and physical activity levels in a UK community.
Article in Scientific reports, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 66 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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
66 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Correlates and determinants of physical activity among older adults of lower versus higher socio-economic status: a systematic review and meta-analysis.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2025Pooled it
- Pet's influence on humans' daily physical activity and mental health: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effects of the characteristic temperament of cats on the emotions and hemodynamic responses of humans.PloS one · 2020Trial
- Assessment of Dog-Leash Pulling Force and the Impact of Dog-Walking on Gait Kinematics.Annals of biomedical engineering · 2026Article
- Owner Social Determinants of Health Associated with Exercise Patterns in Golden Retrievers with and Without Cancer.Veterinary sciences · 2026Article
- Dog-mediated active-leisure engagement and organised canine sport: a cross-sectional analysis of Hungarian dog owners.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2026Article
- Effects of a joint outdoor exercise program for dog owners and dogs on physical activity, sedentary time and sleep-related behaviors.PloS one · 2026Article
- Companion animal owner "types" identified using a large-scale international assessment of the human-animal bond.Frontiers in veterinary science · 2026Article
- Impact of dog sports participation on quality of life, dog owner relationship, and physical activity in women.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026Article
- Human-animal interaction: understanding the role of dog and cat interactions in emotional wellbeing.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Association of new dog ownership with physical activity and social contact: the retrospective study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- 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
- A Conceptual Framework for the Co-Construction of Human-Dog Dyadic Relationship.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2025Review
- Beyond companionship: psycho-social benefits of pet ownership.BMC public health · 2025Article
- "I want them to live their best lives:" A qualitative exploration of owner experiences with walking their cats.Animal welfare (South Mimms, England) · 2025Article
- Dog ownership, physical activity, loneliness and mental health: a comparison of older adult and younger adult companion animal owners.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- Investigation of dog ownership and physical activity on weekdays and weekends using longitudinal data from the SOEP Cohort.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- A pilot study of a joint outdoor exercise program for dog owners and dogs.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Neighbourhood Walkability and Physical Activity during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Article
6 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Previous research suggests that dog owners are slightly more physically active than those without dogs, but have only studied one household member, and it is unclear whether time spent dog walking replaces other physical activity (PA). A survey of 191 dog owning adults (DO), 455 non-dog owning adults (NDO), and 46 children, living in 385 households in West Cheshire UK, was conducted in July-August 2015. Objective (accelerometer) validation occurred on a subset (n = 28 adults). Survey PA outcomes were modelled using hierarchical logistic and linear multivariable regression modelling, accounting for clustering of participants in households. DO were far more likely than NDO to report walking for recreation (OR = 14.35, 95% CI = 5.77-35.79, P < 0.001), and amongst recreational walkers walked for longer per week (RR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.27-5.91, P < 0.001). Other PA undertaken did not differ by dog ownership. The odds of DO meeting current physical activity guidelines of 150 mins per week were four times greater than for NDO (OR = 4.10, 95% CI = 2.05-8.19, P < 0.001). Children with dogs reported more minutes of walking (P = 0.01) and free-time (unstructured) activity (P < 0.01). Dog ownership is associated with more recreational walking and considerably greater odds of meeting PA guidelines. Policies regarding public spaces and housing should support dog ownership due to PA benefits.
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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.