Family Dog Ownership and Levels of Physical Activity in Childhood: Findings from the Child Heart and Health Study in England

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2010 Jul 17

PMID 20634441

Citations 34

Authors

Christopher G Owen

Claire M Nightingale

Alicja R Rudnicka

Ulf Ekelund

Alison M McMinn

Esther M F van Sluijs

Simon J Griffin

Derek G Cook

Peter H Whincup

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Dog ownership is associated with higher physical activity levels in adults; whether this association occurs in children is unknown. We used accelerometry to examine physical activity levels in 2065 children aged 9 to 10 years. Children from dog-owning families spent more time in light or moderate to vigorous physical activity and recorded higher levels of activity counts per minute (25; 95% confidence interval [CI]=6, 44) and steps per day (357; 95% CI=14, 701) than did children without dogs.

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