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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Yu-Tzu WuORCiD
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© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017.Background Dog ownership has been suggested to encourage physical activity in older adults and may enhance resilience to poor environmental conditions. This study investigates the role of dog ownership and walking as a means of supporting the maintenance of physical activity in older adults during periods of inclement weather. Methods The analysis used data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Norfolk cohort. Daily physical activity (counts per minute) and minutes of sedentary behaviour were measured using accelerometers over 7 days. Three types of environmental conditions, day length, precipitation and maximum temperature, were date matched with daily physical activity. A multilevel first-order autoregressive time-series model quantified the moderating effect of self-reported dog ownership and walking on the association between physical activity and weather factors. Results Among the 3123 participants, 18% reported having a dog in their households and two-thirds of dog owners walked their dogs at least once a day. Regular dog walkers were more active and less sedentary on days with the poorest conditions than non-dog owners were on the days with the best conditions. In days with the worst conditions, those who walked their dogs had 20% higher activity levels than non-dog owners and spent 30 min/day less sedentary. Conclusion Those who walked dogs were consistently more physically active than those who did not regardless of environmental conditions. These large differences suggest that dog walking, where appropriate, can be a component of interventions to support physical activity in older adults.
Author(s): Wu Y-T, Luben R, Jones A
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
Year: 2017
Volume: 71
Issue: 9
Pages: 905-911
Print publication date: 01/09/2017
Online publication date: 24/07/2017
Acceptance date: 12/05/2017
Date deposited: 21/05/2020
ISSN (print): 0143-005X
ISSN (electronic): 1470-2738
Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
URL: https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2017-208987
DOI: 10.1136/jech-2017-208987
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