Neighbourhoods, dogs and walking: an exploration of factors relevant to healthy aging in place

Abstract

The aims of this thesis were to: 1) understand factors related to healthy aging of older adults living in urban environments (i.e., aging in place); and 2) contribute to the evidence-informed case for viewing dogs as contributing to neighbourhoods in ways that may influence healthy aging in place. A scoping review of diverse literatures suggested that dogs may increase physical activity for both dog-owners and non-owners, but that dogs will not have a standard effect across all neighbourhoods. An analysis of data for a sample of older adults (250 yrs) living in Calgary, Canada, found that the dog-owners who frequently walked dogs (24 times/wk) reported more neighbourhood-based recreational walking and high sense of community relative to non-owners. Interventions promoting dog-walking in neighbourhoods, while supporting the specific walking needs of older adults, may help support healthy aging in place.