ArticleBMJ open2019
Dog ownership, the natural outdoor environment and health: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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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.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- The genetic architecture of dog ownership: large-scale genome-wide association study in 97,552 European-ancestry individuals.G3 (Bethesda, Md.) · 2024Pooled it
- Dog ownership and mental health among community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review.International journal of geriatric psychiatry · 2022Pooled it
- Bonded Green Exercise: A One Health Framework for Shared Nature-Based Physical Activity in the Human-Dog Dyad.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Estimating the True Effect of Lifestyle Risk Factors for Myopia: A Longitudinal Study of UK Children.Translational vision science & technology · 2024Article
- Walking and Playing with the Dog to Improve the Physical Activity Level of Adolescents: A Scoping Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Neighborhood greenness and participation in specific types of recreational physical activities in the Sister Study.Environmental research · 2024Article
- Testing Leash Walking Training as a Physical Activity Intervention for Older Adult Dog Owners: A Feasibility Study.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
- Use of the Natural Outdoor Environment in Different Populations in Europe in Relation to Access: Implications for Policy.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- The COVID-19 pandemic affects owners walking with their dogs.Journal of veterinary behavior : clinical applications and research : official journal of : Australian Veterinary Behaviour Interest Group, International Working Dog Breeding Association · 2022Article
- Pet Ownership and Quality of Life: A Systematic Review of the Literature.Veterinary sciences · 2021Review
- Associations of environment and lifestyle factors with suboptimal health status: a population-based cross-sectional study in urban China.Globalization and health · 2021Article
- Prevalence of commonly diagnosed disorders in UK dogs under primary veterinary care: results and applications.BMC veterinary research · 2021Article
- Physical activity in pregnancy: a Norwegian-Swedish mother-child birth cohort study.AJOG global reports · 2021Article
- "You can be blind because of loving them so much": the impact on owners in the United Kingdom of living with a dog with osteoarthritis.BMC veterinary research · 2020Article
- Urban Green Space: Creating a Triple Win for Environmental Sustainability, Health, and Health Equity through Behavior Change.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
13 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesDog owners walking their dog in natural outdoor environments (NOE) may benefit from the physical activity facilitated by dog walking and from time spent in nature. However, it is unclear whether dog owners receive additional health benefits associated with having access to NOE above the physical activity benefit of walking with their dog. We investigated associations between dog ownership, walking, time spent in NOE and health and whether these associations differed among those with good and poor access to NOE and those living in green and less green areas.
designCross-sectional study.
settingThe Positive Health Effects of the Natural Outdoor Environment in Typical Populations in Different Regions in Europe project.
participantsn=3586 adults from Barcelona (Spain), Doetinchem (the Netherlands), Kaunas (Lithuania) and Stoke-on-Trent (UK). DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We calculated access to NOE with land maps and residential surrounding greenness with satellite data. Leisure time walking, time spent in NOE and general and mental health status were measured using validated questionnaires. Associations were estimated using multilevel analysis with a random intercept defined at the neighbourhood level.
resultsDog ownership was associated with higher rates of leisure time walking and time spending in NOE (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.86 to 2.54 and 2.37, 95% CI 2.02 to 2.79, respectively). These associations were stronger in those living within 300 m of a NOE and in greener areas. No consistent associations were found between dog ownership and perceived general or mental health status.
conclusionsCompared with non-dog owners, dog owners walked more and spent more time in NOE, especially those living within 300 m of a NOE and in greener areas. The health implications of these relationships should be further investigated. In a largely physically inactive society, dog walking in NOE may be a simple way of promoting physical activity and health.
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