Table 1.
Study characteristics for each category of dog ownership/walking.
| Variable | Non-owners (n = 1578) | Owners/Non-walkers (n = 183) | Owners/Walkers (n = 429) | Significant Differences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Female | 49% | 45% | 45% | NS |
| % Non-White | 28% | 22% | 15% | OW<ONW<NO |
| Education | NS | |||
| Less than college | 34% | 41% | 35% | |
| College graduate | 35% | 31% | 34% | |
| Graduate school | 30% | 28% | 31% | |
| Household Income | ||||
| Low | 16% | 7.5% | 9% | NO> OW>ONW |
| Middle | 41% | 31% | 30% | NO> OW=ONW |
| High | 43% | 61.5% | 61% | NO< OW=ONW |
| Neighborhood Income (% High) | 49% | 55% | 61% | NO<ONW<OW |
| Age (years) | 45 ± 11 | 47 ± 9 | 46 ± 10 | OW=ONW>NO |
| Accelerometer MVPA (minutes/day) | 33 ± 24 | 27 ± 21 | 35 ± 24 | OW>ONW=NO |
| Meeting MVPA Recommendations (% Yes) | 46% | 33% | 53% | OW>NO>ONW |
| Weight Classification | ||||
| % Overweight | 34% | 34% | 43% | NO<ONW<OW |
| % Obese | 22% | 28% | 17% | OW<NO<ONW |
| Neighborhood Walkability (% High) | 53% | 32% | 47% | NO>OW>ONW |
Participants were recruited from 32 neighborhoods in the Seattle, WA and Baltimore, MD regions during 2002 – 2005. Data are presented as means ± standard error for continuous variables and as percentage (number of participants) for categorical variables. Omnibus F and overall Chi Squared tests were significant at p ≤ .002. Post-hoc differences between categories of dog ownership/walking are significant at < .05. NS = not significant; NO =non-owner; OW = owner/walker; ONW = owner/non-walker