Findings From A Scoping Review Examining Family Dog Ownership And Youth Physical Activity Levels

Abstract

Higher youth physical activity (PA) is associated with favorable health outcomes. Only one in three children meet national PA guidelines, which recommend 60 minutes of daily PA. As an estimated 48% of US households own a dog, encouraging dog walking and active play with the family dog are potential high reach strategies to increase youth PA. PURPOSE: The purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the existing literature on family dog ownership and youth PA levels and identify gaps in the literature to inform future studies. METHODS: Database literature searches yielded 659, 230, and 104 results in PubMed, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus, respectively, with the following search terms: (Kids OR children OR adolescents OR youth OR families) AND (Dog OR pet) AND (Physical activity OR walking OR steps OR exercise OR obesity). Following abstract and full-text screening, 18 articles were selected for inclusion. RESULTS: A majority of studies were cross-sectional (88.9%). Study populations were adolescents (38.9%), elementary-aged (27.8%), preschool-aged (5.5%), or combined ages (27.9%). Most studies consisted of majority White, higher socioeconomic status populations (88.9%). PA measurement tools consisted of questionnaire-only (n = 10; 55.6%), questionnaire with participant accelerometers (n = 7; 38.8%), and questionnaire with participant fitness-testing (n = 1; 5.5%). Only 1 study paired self-reported dog walking data with accelerometer data to determine whether children performed moderate-to-vigorous PA during family dog walks. Of 9 studies comparing PA levels among youth with and without dogs, 77.8% reported a positive association between dog ownership and PA. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of studies investigating dog ownership and youth PA levels are cross-sectional, and suggest dog ownership is associated with higher youth PA levels. Longitudinal studies are needed to determine whether the relationship is causal. If a causal relationship is demonstrated, initiatives that reduce family dog ownership barriers may help increase youth PA levels. Randomized trials testing interventions to increase dog-facilitated PA in youth are also needed. Finally, future studies should examine the dog ownership-PA relationship in low-income and ethnic minority youth.