Dog ownership, dog walking, and social capital

Mohammad Javad Koohsari,Ai Shibata,Akitomo Yasunaga,Rina Miyawaki,Kuniko Araki,Kaori Ishii,Koichiro Oka,Gavin R Mccormack,Tomoki Nakaya,Tomoya Hanibuchi

doi:10.1057/s41599-021-00804-y

Abstract

Evidence for social pathways to health benefits for dog owners appears positive but less well-developed. Our study aimed to estimate the differences in social capital by dog ownership and dog walking status among young-to-middle-aged adults and older adults in Japan. Data from 3606 residents living in Japan were used. Data on social capital, dog ownership, and dog walking were collected by questionnaires. Age-stratified multivariable linear regression models were used to estimate differences in social capital scores by dog ownership and dog walking status. Among young-to-middle-aged adults, the mean of the activities with neighbours score, adjusted for covariates, was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for the dog owner walkers group compared to the non-dog owners group. Among older adults, no significant differences in the marginal means of social capital scores were observed between the three groups of non-dog owners, dog owner non-walkers, and dog owner walkers. While the benefits of social capital for a healthy lifestyle have been well-documented, few means have been identified to intervene in social capital. Building on and expanding the known health benefits of dog ownership and dog walking, this study revealed modest support for the link between dog walking and activities with neighbours among young-to-middle-aged adults, but no meaningful associations were found for older adults. Additionally, no significant link was observed between dog walking and social cohesion among either age group. Future research can further improve the use of dog-based behavioural health interventions for fostering social capital.

Highlights

A large number of people worldwide are living with a pet, dogs
As a first study conducted in an Asian context, our aim was to estimate the differences in social capital by dog ownership and dog walking status among young-to-middle-aged adults and older adults in Japan
No other significant differences were detected in the social capital scores among the non-dog owners, dog owner non-walkers, and dog owner walkers groups

Summary

Introduction

A large number of people worldwide are living with a pet, dogs. For example, 17% of households in Japan own a dog (Growth from Knowledge, 2016). Several studies have highlighted dog walking as a key pathway through which dog ownership may support health. A multisite, international study showed that dog walkers were more likely to achieve ≥30 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity on more days of the week than non-dog walkers (Christian et al, 2016). Several reviews have demonstrated consistent evidence for positive associations between dog ownership, dog walking, and physical activity (Cutt et al, 2007; Rock et al, 2015; Toohey and Rock, 2011); evidence for other pathways to health benefits for owners appears positive, but less well-developed (Christian et al, 2018)

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