Degeling Chris, Burton Lindsay, McCormack Gavin R
Population Health Intervention Research Centre, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Can J Vet Res. 2012 Jul;76(3):235-40.
Risk factors associated with canine obesity include the amount of walking a dog receives. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between canine exercise requirements, socio-demographic factors, and dog-walking behaviors in winter in Calgary. Dog owners, from a cross-sectional study which included a random sample of adults, were asked their household income, domicile type, gender, age, education level, number and breed(s) of dog(s) owned, and frequency and time spent dog-walking in a usual week. Canine exercise requirements were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) positively associated with the minutes pet dogs were walked, as was the owner being a female. Moreover, dog walking frequency, but not minutes of dog walking, was significantly associated with residing in attached housing (i.e., apartments). Different types of dogs have different exercise requirements to maintain optimal health. Understanding the role of socio-demographic factors and dog-related characteristics such as exercise requirements on dog-walking behaviors is essential for helping veterinarians and owners develop effective strategies to prevent and manage canine obesity. Furthermore, encouraging regular dog-walking has the potential to improve the health of pet dogs, and that of their owners.
与犬类肥胖相关的风险因素包括狗狗的运动量。本研究的目的是调查卡尔加里冬季犬类运动需求、社会人口统计学因素与遛狗行为之间的关系。在一项包含成年人随机样本的横断面研究中，研究人员询问了狗主人的家庭收入、住所类型、性别、年龄、教育水平、所养狗的数量和品种，以及在平常一周内遛狗的频率和时长。结果发现，宠物狗的运动量以及主人为女性这两个因素，均与犬类运动需求显著正相关（P < 0.05）。此外，遛狗频率（而非遛狗时长）与居住在附属住房（即公寓）显著相关。不同类型的狗为维持最佳健康状态有不同的运动需求。了解社会人口统计学因素以及诸如运动需求等与狗相关的特征在遛狗行为中所起的作用，对于帮助兽医和狗主人制定预防和管理犬类肥胖的有效策略至关重要。此外，鼓励定期遛狗有可能改善宠物狗及其主人的健康状况。
