Walking Sole Mates: Dogs Motivating, Enabling and Supporting Guardians' Physical Activity.
Dog walking is receiving increasing attention in the public health literature as a strategy to improve dog guardians' physical activity levels. Quantitative research suggests that dog guardians walk more often and for longer than non dog-guardians, and offers suggestions as to the reasons for these...
| Published in: | Anthrozoös Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 237 - 253 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | Article |
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Taylor & Francis Ltd
Jun2013
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=88217857&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 88217857 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 08927936 GZF jtl: Anthrozoös issn: 08927936 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jun2013 vid: 26 iid: 2 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd artinfo: ui: 88217857 10.2752/175303713X13636846944286 ppf: 237 ppct: 16 formats: tig: atl: Walking Sole Mates: Dogs Motivating, Enabling and Supporting Guardians' Physical Activity. aug: au: Higgins, Joan Wharf Temple, Viviene Murray, Holly Kumm, Ellen Rhodes, Ryan affil: School of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Behavioural Medicine Laboratory, School of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Department of Health Education and Health Promotion (HEHP), University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Wisconsin, USA su: Motivation (Psychology) Public health Human-animal relationships Dog walking Physical activity Dog behavior Dog owners sug: subj: Motivation (Psychology) Public health Human-animal relationships Health and Welfare Funds Dog walking Physical activity Dog behavior Dog owners keyword: dogs family member physical activity qualitative data walking dogs family member physical activity qualitative data walking ab: Dog walking is receiving increasing attention in the public health literature as a strategy to improve dog guardians' physical activity levels. Quantitative research suggests that dog guardians walk more often and for longer than non dog-guardians, and offers suggestions as to the reasons for these differences. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore dog guardians' walking practices and relationships with their dogs, to better understand how and why dog walking might become an intervention point to enhance physical activity levels. Five focus groups and two interviews were conducted with 16 adult dog guardians. Following an initial analysis of the results, 10 additional dog guardians were individually interviewed to review and confirm the findings. Four themes emerged to explain the dog-walking phenomenon: Transcending the human-animal distinction; Dogs as walking sole mates; Activity/health benefits; and Dogs as social conduits. We argue that an empathetic stance benefits dog guardians because, as valued family members whose health and happiness they are responsible for, their canine companions serve to motivate, enable, and sustain walking behaviors. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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