Dog Ownership from a Life Course Perspective and Leisure-time Physical Activity in Late Adulthood: The Helsinki Birth Cohort Study

Objectives: We investigated the association between dog ownership during the life course and leisure-time PA (LTPA) in late adulthood. Methods: We included 714 participants (mean age = 70.8 +/- 2.6 years) from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (HBCS). Dog ownership for every decade of life, current dog ownership, and current LTPA in metabolic equivalents of task (MET) were assessed with questionnaires. Age and sex adjusted generalized estimating equation models and analysis of regression were applied for the analyses. Results: No significant age by dog ownership interaction on total, conditioning or non-conditioning LTPA was found (p >= .68). However, after the age of 40 years, dog ownership was increasingly associated with greater total and non-conditioning LTPA in later life. The mean difference in total LTPA, which was mostly explained by non-conditioning LTPA, was largest between the current dog owners and non-owners (15.2 MET-hours/week, 95% CI: 5.5-24.8, p = .002). Conclusions: Current dog ownership is associated with 15.2 MET-hours/week greater total LTPA compared to the non-owners. The differences were already observable after the age of 40. Thus, dog ownership induced increase in LTPA can have a positive influence on the aging processes and consequently positively influence healthy active aging.