Park Miso, Park Hoon-Ki, Hwang Hwan-Sik, Park Kye-Yeung, Yim Ho-Hyoun
Department of Family Medicine, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Korean J Fam Med. 2021 Jan;42(1):59-65. doi: 10.4082/kjfm.19.0143. Epub 2020 Aug 5.
Many studies have reported that dog ownership is effective in encouraging physical activity. However, the association between living with a dog and enhanced physical activity has not been clearly verified. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of dog ownership on the amount of physical activity in a representative sample of Korean adults.
This cross-sectional study administered the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) to 1,299 individuals who visited the international healthcare center of one hospital in Seoul, Korea, between August and December in 2018. Based on responses to the IPAQ survey, the amount and duration of physical activity was calculated to analyze relationships with dog ownership.
The total amount (P=0.02) and duration of physical activity (P=0.02) and the duration of vigorous-intensity physical activity (P=0.04) were significantly higher among dog owners than non-dog owners. The duration of daily physical activity increased with dog ownership by 18.6 minutes (P=0.01). A comparison of dog owners according to whether they walked with their dogs revealed that dog walking had no significant effect on the amount and duration of physical activity, inactivity, or health-enhancing physical activity status. There was a sex-specific association between dog ownership and total duration of physical activity in females.
The duration of physical activity increased by dog ownership. However, the higher levels of physical activity among dog owners may not necessarily be explained by dog ownership or walking with dogs. This outcome suggests that raising a dog can help promote physical activity.
许多研究报告称，养狗有助于促进身体活动。然而，与狗一起生活和增强身体活动之间的关联尚未得到明确验证。因此，本研究旨在调查养狗对韩国成年人代表性样本身体活动量的影响。
这项横断面研究于2018年8月至12月期间，对访问韩国首尔一家医院国际医疗中心的1299人进行了国际身体活动问卷（IPAQ）调查。根据IPAQ调查的回答，计算身体活动的量和持续时间，以分析与养狗的关系。
养狗者的身体活动总量（P = 0.02）、持续时间（P = 0.02）以及剧烈强度身体活动的持续时间（P = 0.04）均显著高于非养狗者。随着养狗，每日身体活动的持续时间增加了18.6分钟（P = 0.01）。根据是否与狗一起散步对养狗者进行比较，结果显示与狗一起散步对身体活动量、持续时间、不活动状态或增进健康的身体活动状态均无显著影响。养狗与女性身体活动总持续时间之间存在性别特异性关联。
养狗会增加身体活动的持续时间。然而，养狗者较高的身体活动水平不一定能用养狗或与狗一起散步来解释。这一结果表明，养狗有助于促进身体活动。
