A healthy bond: relationship between dog ownership, physical activity levels, motivation, physical self-concept and well-being in adolescents
Introduction: physical inactivity, especially among adolescents, is linked to serious health problems, with girls being particularly affected. Given the increasing prevalence of dog ownership, dog-assisted physical activity programs could offer new strategies to counteract this issue. Objective:...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
FEADEF
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Retos: Nuevas Tendencias en Educación Física, Deportes y Recreación |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistaretos.org/index.php/retos/article/view/114863 |
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| Summary: | Introduction: physical inactivity, especially among adolescents, is linked to serious health problems, with girls being particularly affected. Given the increasing prevalence of dog ownership, dog-assisted physical activity programs could offer new strategies to counteract this issue.
Objective: this study examines the relationship between dog ownership and various aspects of adolescent health, including physical activity levels, motivation, physical self-concept, and well-being, while also considering the moderating effect of gender.
Methodology: a descriptive, comparative, and correlational study was conducted with 610 adolescents (301 males and 309 females) with a mean age of 15 years (SD = 1.3 years) of whom 34.9% lived with a dog.
Results: girls engaged in more physical activity during school and leisure time, while boys were more active in sports. Dog owners had higher physical activity levels, especially during school. Boys showed greater intrinsic motivation, integrated motivation, and physical self-concept, while girls had higher academic efficacy. Significant interactions were found between gender and dog ownership, with a greater impact on boys’ sports participation.
Discussion: gender differences were observed in physical activity, motivation, and well-being, with boys benefiting more from sports participation and physical self-concept, while girls were more academically confident. Dog ownership was positively associated with increased physical activity, particularly in boys. Future studies should consider individual and social factors and employ longitudinal designs to further examine these relationships
Conclusions: dog-assisted interventions could promote adolescent physical activity and well-being, offering new opportunities for professionals in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences.
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| ISSN: | 1579-1726 1988-2041 |