Volume 9, Issue 2 (11-2025)
J Social Behav Communit Health 2025, 9(2): 1625-1633 |
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Sartore-Baldwin M, Das B. Physical Activity, Well-Being, and Community Engagement: A Socioecological Examination of Volunteers Walking Shelter Dogs. J Social Behav Communit Health 2025; 9 (2) :1625-1633
URL: http://sbrh.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-291-en.html
URL: http://sbrh.ssu.ac.ir/article-1-291-en.html
1- Department of Recreation Sciences, College of Health and Human Performance East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858, United States , sartorem@ecu.edu
2- Department of Recreation Sciences, College of Health and Human Performance East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858, United States
2- Department of Recreation Sciences, College of Health and Human Performance East Carolina University Greenville, NC 27858, United States
Abstract: (76 Views)
Background: The purpose of this work is to examine physical activity levels of volunteers who walk shelter dogs at an open-admission animal shelter in the southern United States. In doing so, shelter dog walking is presented as an activity of relational community engagement that can enhance well-being at all levels.
Methods: For this quasi-experimental study, a purposive sample of volunteer dog walkers in rural North Carolina was asked to record daily activity for a twelve-week period, with a total of 336 days submitted. Descriptive statistics and a paired-samples t-test were analyze the data.
Results: Data from a total of 336 days was collected. Paired-samples t-test was performed to compare outcomes assessed on days shelter dogs were not walked and days they were walked by volunteers. Significant differences were demonstrated for the steps taken (t(154) = 9.5, p < .001), the distance walked (t(154) = 9.0, p < .001), and the calories expended (t(154) = 5.2, p < .001).
Conclusion: The implications of these findings are multi-level and suggest walking shelter dogs can be a beneficial activity for all parties involved. At the micro-level, volunteers walked further, burned more calories, and accumulated more steps on days they walked shelter dogs. In turn, shelter staff and the local community benefited at the meso- and macro-levels, respectively.
Methods: For this quasi-experimental study, a purposive sample of volunteer dog walkers in rural North Carolina was asked to record daily activity for a twelve-week period, with a total of 336 days submitted. Descriptive statistics and a paired-samples t-test were analyze the data.
Results: Data from a total of 336 days was collected. Paired-samples t-test was performed to compare outcomes assessed on days shelter dogs were not walked and days they were walked by volunteers. Significant differences were demonstrated for the steps taken (t(154) = 9.5, p < .001), the distance walked (t(154) = 9.0, p < .001), and the calories expended (t(154) = 5.2, p < .001).
Conclusion: The implications of these findings are multi-level and suggest walking shelter dogs can be a beneficial activity for all parties involved. At the micro-level, volunteers walked further, burned more calories, and accumulated more steps on days they walked shelter dogs. In turn, shelter staff and the local community benefited at the meso- and macro-levels, respectively.
Type of Study: Original Article |
Subject:
Physical Activity & Health
Received: 2025/05/30 | Accepted: 2025/08/25 | Published: 2025/11/29
Received: 2025/05/30 | Accepted: 2025/08/25 | Published: 2025/11/29
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