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Tag: Walking

  • Study reveals safety of MS drugs during breastfeeding in child’s early years of life

    Study reveals safety of MS drugs during breastfeeding in child’s early years of life

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    Certain medications for multiple sclerosis (MS) called monoclonal antibodies, taken while breastfeeding, may not affect the development of a child during the first three years of life, according to a preliminary study released today, March 4, 2024. The study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 13–18, 2024, in person in Denver and online. The study examined four monoclonal antibodies for MS: natalizumab, ocrelizumab, rituximab and ofatumumab.

    MS is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks myelin, the fatty white substance that insulates and protects the nerves. Symptoms may include fatigue, numbness, tingling or difficulty walking.

    Most monoclonal antibody medications for multiple sclerosis are not currently approved for use while a mother is breastfeeding. Yet MS can develop during the childbearing years of life. Since the risk of MS relapses increases after giving birth, some mothers may need or want to restart these therapies, so it is important to determine whether these medications, through breast milk, have a negative impact on a child’s development.”


    Kerstin Hellwig, MD, study author of Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany

    For the study, researchers used the German MS and Pregnancy Registry to identify 183 infants born to mothers taking monoclonal antibodies while breastfeeding. Of this group, 180 had mothers with MS and the three had mothers with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease (NMOSD). NMOSD is also a demyelinating disease, but it is rare and specifically affects the optic nerve, spinal cord or brain. 

    The infants were compared to another 183 infants, matched for exposure to MS medications shortly before or during pregnancy, born to mothers with the same diseases who did not take monoclonal antibodies while breastfeeding.

    Of those exposed to MS medications, 125 were exposed to natalizumab, 34 to ocrelizumab, 11 to rituximab and 10 to ofatumumab. Two infants were first exposed to natalizumab and then ocrelizumab. One infant was exposed to rituximab and then ocrelizumab.

    The first exposures to the medications through breastfeeding ranged from the day a child was born to the ninth month of life. Infants were breastfed for an average of five-and-a-half months while their mothers took these medications.

    For all infants, researchers then examined the number of hospital stays, antibiotic use, developmental delays such as problems with social and fine motor skills and delayed speech development, and the infants’ weight at follow-up visits during the first three years of life.

    After comparing infants exposed to the medications to infants not exposed, researchers found no differences in their health or development.

    “Our data show infants exposed to these medications through breastfeeding experienced no negative effects on health or development within the first three years of life,” Hellwig said.

    A limitation of the study was that only about a third of the infants were followed for the full three years. Therefore, Hellwig said, the results for the third year of life are less meaningful than for years one and two.

    Source:

    American Academy of Neurology

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  • Robotic hip exoskeleton could be a promising avenue for stroke rehabilitation

    Robotic hip exoskeleton could be a promising avenue for stroke rehabilitation

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    More than 80% of stroke survivors experience walking difficulty, significantly impacting their daily lives, independence, and overall quality of life. Now, new research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst pushes forward the bounds of stroke recovery with a unique robotic hip exoskeleton, designed as a training tool to improve walking function. This invites the possibility of new therapies that are more accessible and easier to translate from practice to daily life compared to current rehabilitation methods. 

    Following stroke, people often experience walking asymmetry, where one step is shorter than the other. The study, published in IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, reveals that the robotic hip exoskeleton has the potential to effectively train individuals to modify their walking asymmetry, presenting a promising avenue for stroke rehabilitation. 

    The approach employed by the robotic exoskeleton is inspired by split-belt treadmills, which are specialized machines with two side-by-side belts moving at different speeds. Prior research has shown that repeated training on a split-belt treadmill can reduce walking asymmetry in stroke patients. 

    Wouter Hoogkamer, assistant professor of kinesiology and author on the paper, has spent the last decade studying split-belt treadmills. “Split-belt treadmill training is designed to exaggerate a stroke patient’s walking asymmetry by running the belts under each foot at different speeds. Over time, the nervous system adapts, such that when the belts are set to the same speed, they walk more symmetrically.” 

    Unfortunately, there are limits to the benefits gained from treadmill-based training methods.

    What is learned on a treadmill does not completely transfer to overground contexts. This is because walking on a treadmill is not exactly the same as walking overground.”


    Banu Abdikadirova, mechanical and industrial engineering doctoral candidate and lead study author 

    “The ultimate goal of gait rehabilitation is not to improve walking on a treadmill – it is to improve locomotor function overground,” says Meghan Huber, assistant professor of mechanical and industrial engineering and senior author on the paper. “With this in mind, our focus is to develop methods of gait rehabilitation that translate to functional improvements in real-world contexts.” 

    With this motivation, the UMass team sought a novel way to exaggerate walking asymmetry without a treadmill. 

    This proof-of-concept study showed that applying resistive forces about one hip joint and assistive forces about the other with their exoskeleton mimicked the effects of split-belt treadmill training in neurologically intact individuals. 

    Now that the research team has proven that the exoskeleton can alter gait asymmetry, they are eager to move their research into overground contexts that are more akin to the real world. 

    “Because our exoskeleton is portable, it can be used during overground walking,” says Mark Price, a postdoctoral researcher in mechanical and industrial engineering and kinesiology and author on the paper. “We can build upon the successes of split-belt treadmill training with this device to enhance the accessibility of gait training and enhance the transfer of training benefits into everyday walking contexts.” 

    The researchers also plan to expand their work by measuring the neural changes caused by walking with the exoskeleton and testing this new method on stroke survivors. 

    “A portable exoskeleton offers numerous clinical benefits,” says Abdikadirova. “Such a device can be seamlessly integrated into the daily lives of chronic stroke survivors, offering an accessible way to increase training time, which is critical for improving walking. It can also be used during early intervention in hospitals for improved functional outcomes.” 

    The robotic hip exoskeleton is just one of the innovative devices designed to study and enhance gait function developed by the collaborative team of undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers from the Human Robot Systems Lab, led by Huber, and the Integrative Locomotion Lab, led by Hoogkamer. 

    “It is inspiring to witness the innovations that emerge when individuals from diverse backgrounds unite under a shared mission,” says Huber. “Only through this type of cross-disciplinary research can we engineer technologies that can have a meaningful impact on people’s lives.”

    Source:

    University of Massachusetts Amherst

    Journal reference:

    Abdikadirova, A., et al. (2024) Gait Adaptation to Asymmetric Hip Stiffness Applied by a Robotic Exoskeleton. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering. doi.org/10.1109/TNSRE.2024.3354517.

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  • Study reveals benefits of purposeful walking for total hip replacement patients

    Study reveals benefits of purposeful walking for total hip replacement patients

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    A research paper by scientists at Bournemouth University proposed a randomized pilot trial, which aimed to determine the effect of an intervention where outdoor walking distance is used as a goal to increase daily activity of older adults using a commercial activity monitor at 3 to 6 months post total hip replacement (THR).

    The new research paper, published on Nov. 30 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems, indicated the participants in the intervention group had higher activity levels after THR, compared to those in the control group. The Cohen’s effect sizes were larger for the changes in the gait, Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale data in the intervention group in contrast to the control group.

    THR should not only be to improve pain but also lead to improving physical activity. This activity should preferably meet the recommended daily activity levels (at least 150 to 300 min of moderate-intensity physical activity per week) by the World Health Organization. THR patients benefit from improved joint range, muscle strength, and coordination through physical activity. This aids in restoring optimal biomechanics and overall mobility.

    Activity monitors have been extensively used as an incentive to encourage people in the wider population to become more active through walking. However, when it comes to the THR cohort, the evidence of distance-based interventions is limited, in particular when it comes to outdoor walking.”


    Shayan Bahadori, study author, professor at Bournemouth University

    The focus of current studies has been merely on monitoring or enhancing the amount of walking using the step count parameter. “This is a shortcoming because a recognized technical problem with the activity monitors is their diminishing accuracy in step counting associated with decreased walking speed which is often a gait characteristic associated with people after THR operation. Additionally, there is currently a lack of attention for personalized plans in the postoperative period which is against the desire of individuals undergoing THR surgery. Further evidence also suggests that individuals undergoing THR surgery are interested and receptive of wearable technologies and, in particular, enjoy the outdoor elements where sensors such as Global Positioning System technology are used to track their daily outdoor activities.” said study authors.

    This study aims to determine the effect of an intervention where an outdoor walking distance is used as a goal to increase daily walking activity, using a commercially available activity monitor, in people after THR 3 to 6 months post THR surgery. “Throughout this protocol, we will refer to the outdoor walk that is recorded with a GPS sensor as a “purposeful walk”” said Shayan Bahadori.

    The study authors suggested that the study was the first randomized trial to report the effect of the outdoor purposeful walk, monitored using a commercial activity monitor. The findings suggest that the purposeful walking intervention was successful in increasing daily walking activity and function in contrast to the control group.

    “In future work, further research with a larger sample size is required to provide tangible evidence on the significance of the effect of the purposeful walk in contrast to step count.” said Shayan Bahadori. Totally, the study can contribute to the fields of the health activity monitoring, and inspiring innovation around it.

    Source:

    Cyborg and Bionic Systems

    Journal reference:

    Bahadori, S., et al. (2023). Can a Purposeful Walk Intervention with a Distance Goal Using an Activity Monitor Improve Individuals’ Daily Activity and Function Post Total Hip Replacement Surgery. A Randomized Pilot Trial. Cyborg and Bionic Systems. doi.org/10.34133/cbsystems.0069.

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  • Study identifies optimal daily steps for heart failure prevention in older women

    Study identifies optimal daily steps for heart failure prevention in older women

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    The science is clear that movement is good for our bodies as we age. But just how much physical activity is beneficial for people over 60? A new study from the University at Buffalo provides an answer, and it’s not 10,000 steps per day.

    In fact, the study -; published Feb. 21 in JAMA Cardiology -; of nearly 6,000 U.S. women aged 63-99 reports that, on average, 3,600 steps per day at a normal pace was associated with a 26% lower risk of developing heart failure.

    The observational study from the Women’s Health Initiative specifically looked at accelerometer-measured physical activity, sedentary time and heart failure risk. There were 407 heart failure cases -; confirmed by physicians -; identified during a mean follow-up of 7.5 years.

    The risk of developing heart failure was, on average, 12% and 16% lower for each 70 minutes per day spent in light intensity activities and each 30 minutes per day spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity, respectively. To the contrary, each hour-and-a-half of sedentary time was associated, on average, with a 17% higher risk of experiencing heart failure.

    In ambulatory older women, higher amounts of usual daily light and moderate intensity activities were associated with lower risk of developing heart failure with preserved ejection fraction independent of demographic and clinical factors associated with heart failure risk. Accumulating 3,000 steps per day might be a reasonable target that would be consistent with the amount of daily activity performed by women in this study.”


    Michael J. LaMonte, PhD, study’s lead author, research professor of epidemiology and environmental health in UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions

    Study participants wore an accelerometer on their hip for up to seven consecutive days, except for when in water. Light physical activity included usual daily activities like self-care, chores around the house and caregiving, while moderate to vigorous activity involved walking at a normal pace, climbing the stairs or doing yard work.

    The study is unique in that it looked at two subtypes of heart failure, the most common of which is heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, often abbreviated as HFpEF. A similar pattern of lower risk with more light and moderate intensity daily activity, and higher risk with prolonged sedentary time, was seen for HFpEF.

    “This is a major, unique finding of our study because there is very little published data on physical activity and HFpEF, so we are providing new information upon which other studies can build,” LaMonte says.

    “More importantly, HFpEF is the most common form of heart failure seen in older women and among racial and ethnic minority groups, and at present there are few established treatment options, which makes primary prevention all the more relevant for HFpEF. The potential for light intensity activities of daily life to contribute to the prevention of HFpEF in older women is an exciting and promising result for future studies to evaluate in other groups, including older men,” LaMonte adds.

    The team’s evaluation of the number of steps per day as an approach to quantifying and translating the favorable results for physical activity was also novel, says LaMonte.

    Encouraging older adults to be more active as part of healthy aging is sound advice well-supported by scientific evidence.

    “However, conveying how much activity is always a challenge to incorporate as part of clinical and public health recommendations,” says LaMonte. “Steps per day is easily understood and can be measured by a variety of consumer-level wearable devices to help people monitor their physical activity levels.”

    In this study, the risk of heart failure, including HFpEF, became significantly lower at around 2,500 steps per day. When standardized to 3,600 steps per day (1 standard deviation unit), there was a 25-30% lower risk of heart failure and HFpEF.

    The study’s findings come at a time when the U.S. government is examining its physical activity guidelines for older adults, particularly a target number of steps per day. The steps per day associated with lower heart failure risk cited in the study are far fewer than the often recommended 10,000 steps for health and wellness.

    For perspective, the average number of steps per day among women in the study was 3,588. The average among U.S. women of similar age is 2,340.

    “It appeared that intensity of stepping did not influence the lower risk of heart failure as results were comparable for light intensity steps and for more vigorous steps,” says LaMonte.

    “Our results showing heart failure prevention in older women might be enhanced through walking around 3,000 steps or so per day at usual pace is very relevant given the current emphasis at the federal level on identifying an amount of daily physical activity that can be referenced against steps per day for cardiovascular health and resilience to incorporate in future public health guidelines.”

    Researchers from the University of California San Diego, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Stanford University, and Brown University contributed to the study.

    Source:

    Journal reference:

    LaMonte, M. J., et al. (2024). Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity, Sedentary Time, and Heart Failure Risk in Women Aged 63 to 99 Years. JAMA Cardiology. doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2023.5692.

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  • How dopamine influences movement in Parkinson’s

    How dopamine influences movement in Parkinson’s

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    Dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain, is mostly known for its role in how we experience pleasure and reward. However, new research from the Champalimaud Foundation (CF) shifts the spotlight towards dopamine’s critical involvement in movement, with implications for our understanding and treatment of symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease (PD).

    Imagine the act of walking. It’s something most able-bodied people do without a second thought. Yet it is actually a complex process involving various neurological and physiological systems. PD is a condition where the brain slowly loses specific cells, called dopamine neurons, resulting in reduced strength and speed of movements. However, there’s another important aspect that gets affected: the length of actions. Someone with PD might not only move more slowly but also take fewer steps in a walking sequence or bout before stopping. This study shows that dopamine signals directly affect the length of movement sequences, taking us a step closer to unlocking new therapeutic targets for enhancing motor function in PD.

    Dopamine is most closely associated with reward and pleasure, and is often referred to as the ‘feel-good’ neurotransmitter. But, for dopamine-deficient individuals with PD, it’s typically the movement impairments that most impact their quality of life. One aspect that has always interested us is the concept of lateralization. In PD, symptoms manifest asymmetrically, often beginning on one side of the body before the other. With this study, we wanted to explore the theory that dopamine cells do more than just motivate us to move, they specifically enhance movements on the opposite side of our body”.


    Marcelo Mendonça, study’s first author

    Shedding light on the brain

    To this end, the researchers developed a novel behavioral task, which required freely-moving mice to use one paw at a time to press a lever in order to obtain a reward (a drop of sugar water). To understand what was happening in the brain during this task, the researchers used one-photon imaging, similar to giving the mice a tiny, wearable microscope. This microscope was aimed at the Substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), a dopamine-rich region deep within the brain that is significantly impacted in PD, allowing the scientists to see the activity of brain cells in real-time.

    They genetically engineered these mice so that their dopamine neurons would light up when active, using a special protein that glows under the microscope. This meant that every time a mouse was about to move its paw or succeeded in getting a reward, the scientists could see which neurons were lighting up and getting excited about the action or the reward.

    Observing these glowing neurons, the discoveries were, quite literally, illuminating. “There were two types of dopamine neurons mixed together in the same area of the brain”, notes Mendonça. “Some neurons became active when the mouse was about to move, while others lit up when the mouse got its reward. But what really caught our attention was how these neurons reacted depending on which paw the mouse used”.

    How dopamine chooses sides

    The team noticed that the neurons excited by movement lit up more when the mouse used the paw opposite to the brain side being observed. For example, if they were looking at the right side of the brain, the neurons were more active when the mouse used its left paw, and vice versa. Digging deeper, the scientists found that the activity of these movement-related neurons not only signaled the start of a movement but also seemed to encode, or represent, the length of the movement sequences (the number of lever presses).

    Mendonça elaborates, “The more the mouse was about to press the lever with the paw opposite the brain side we were observing, the more active neurons became. For example, neurons on the right side of the brain became more excited when the mouse used its left paw to press the lever more often. But when the mouse pressed the lever more with its right paw, these neurons didn’t show the same increase in excitement. In other words, these neurons care not just about whether the mouse moves, but also about how much they move, and on which side of the body”.

    To study how losing dopamine affects movement, the researchers used a neurotoxin to selectively reduce dopamine-producing cells on one side of a mouse’s brain. This method mimics conditions like PD, where dopamine levels drop and movement becomes difficult. By doing this, they could see how less dopamine changes the way mice press a lever with either paw. They discovered that reducing dopamine on one side led to fewer lever presses with the paw on the opposite side, while the paw on the same side remained unaffected. This provided further evidence for the side-specific influence of dopamine on movement.

    Implications and future directions

    Rui Costa, the study’s senior author, picks up the story, “Our findings suggest that movement-related dopamine neurons do more than just provide general motivation to move – they can modulate the length of a sequence of movements in a contralateral limb, for example. In contrast, the activity of reward-related dopamine neurons is more universal, and doesn’t favor one side over the other. This reveals a more complex role of dopamine neurons in movement than previously thought”.

    Costa reflects, “The different symptoms observed in PD patients could be perhaps related to which dopamine neurons are lost-; for instance, those more linked to movement or to reward. This could potentially enhance management strategies in the disease that are more tailored to the type of dopamine neurons that are lost, especially now that we know there are different types of genetically defined dopamine neurons in the brain”.

    Source:

    Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown

    Journal reference:

    Mendonça, M. D., et al. (2024). Dopamine neuron activity encodes the length of upcoming contralateral movement sequences. Current Biology. doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.01.067.

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  • Exercise is an effective treatment for depression, with walking, jogging, yoga, and strength training more effective than other exercises

    Exercise is an effective treatment for depression, with walking, jogging, yoga, and strength training more effective than other exercises

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    In a recent systematic review and network meta-analysis published in the British Medical Journal, researchers determined the potentially most effective exercise regimen and dosage in managing major depressive disorder (MDD) in comparison to antidepressants, psychotherapy, and control interventions.

    Study: Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Image Credit: Dmytrenko Vlad/Shutterstock.com
    Study: Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Image Credit: Dmytrenko Vlad/Shutterstock.com

    They found that exercise, in the form of yoga, walking, jogging, or strength training, is an effective and well-tolerated treatment for depression, suggesting its potential as a core intervention alongside antidepressants and psychotherapy, regardless of comorbidities or baseline depression levels.

    Background

    MDD is a leading global cause of disability, impacting life satisfaction significantly and exacerbating comorbidities. Despite the availability of treatments, the potential resistance and limited access to them emphasize the urgent need for evidence-based interventions. Although exercise is suggested as a potential adjunct or alternative to traditional treatments for depression, backed by international guidelines, the recommendations on dose and modality vary across regions. Guidelines suggest diverse approaches, including group exercise programs, aerobic or resistance training, or a combination of both.

    Existing pairwise meta-analyses assessing specific exercise modalities versus comparators face challenges due to heterogeneous treatments and comparisons, leading to ambiguous effect estimates. Overviews of reviews have attempted to address this by combining pairwise meta-analyses, but differences in analytical methods can still lead to confusion.

    In this regard, network meta-analyses may offer a more precise approach by simultaneously modeling direct and indirect comparisons between interventions. Previous network meta-analyses have examined the effects of exercise on various outcomes, including depression, but may have been underpowered to explore moderators such as dose and modality.

    To address this gap, researchers in the present study conducted a comprehensive search of randomized trials to identify the optimal dose and modality of exercise for depression, considering factors like participants’ sex, age, and baseline depression level. To enhance the intervention effects for depression, they investigated autonomy support and behavior change techniques, examining their associations with intervention outcomes. Additionally, they explored intervention mechanisms, including self-confidence and affect, through formal mediation analyses in the included studies.

    About the studyTop of Form

    In the present study, randomized controlled trials investigating exercise as a treatment for depression were included, with participants meeting the criteria for MDD, either clinically diagnosed or self-reported to exceed established clinical thresholds. Data were sourced from Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, SPORTDiscus, and PsycINFO databases. Studies were eligible whether all participants or only a subgroup had depression.

    Studies with various comparison conditions, participant profiles, and languages were considered, aiming to evaluate exercise’s efficacy in depression treatment comprehensively. Exclusion criteria were interventions shorter than a week, insufficient depression outcome data, and inability to calculate effect sizes. A total of 218 studies were included, with 495 arms and 14,170 participants.

    For each study, intervention details, including exercise frequency, intensity, type, and duration, were assessed alongside behavior change techniques, level of autonomy, comparison conditions, and participant characteristics. The energy expenditure dose of exercise was determined for each arm in the form of metabolic equivalents of task (METs) min/week.

    The risk of bias in the included studies was assessed using Cochrane’s tool. Bayesian arm-based multilevel network meta-analysis models were employed for main and moderation analyses, using standardized mean change from baseline as the summary measure. Active control conditions were grouped together (such as usual care and placebo tablet), while waitlist control was considered separately due to its typically poorer effects. Netmeta and CINeMA were used for assessing credibility and modeling acceptability. Prespecified moderation and sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the findings.

    Results and discussion

    Compared to active controls, dance showed large reductions in depression (Hedges’ g -0.96), followed by moderate reductions for walking or jogging (g -0.63), yoga (g -0.55), strength training (g -0.49), mixed aerobic exercises (g -0.43), and tai chi or qigong (g -0.42). Moderate effects were also seen on combining exercise with SSRIs (short for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, g -0.55) or combining aerobic exercise with psychotherapy (g -0.54).

    These treatments outperformed the clinically important difference threshold (g -0.20). Strength training and yoga had lower dropout rates compared to active controls and were perceived as the most acceptable options. Effects were moderate for cognitive behavior therapy alone (g -0.55) and small for SSRIs (g -0.26). However, while the publication bias was found to be low, only one study met the criteria for low risk of bias.

    Although the review provides insights into the potential of dance for the treatment of depression, the small number of studies, bias in study designs, and lack of blinding in interventions limit the strength of the overall recommendations.

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, as per the study, exercises including walking, strength training, and yoga show promise as a treatment for depression, although the confidence in the findings may vary. In the future, tailoring exercise-based interventions to suit individual characteristics and combining them as core treatment along with antidepressants and psychotherapy may improve the outcomes for patients with MDD, offering accessible options, particularly for those with barriers to participation.

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  • Exploring the dynamic between dog ownership and child activity levels

    Exploring the dynamic between dog ownership and child activity levels

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    In a recent study published in the International Journal of Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, a group of researchers examined the longitudinal effects of changes in dog ownership on children’s physical activity and movement behaviors using data from the Play Spaces and Environments for Children’s Physical Activity (PLAYCE) cohort study.

    Study: Longitudinal effects of dog ownership, dog acquisition, and dog loss on children’s movement behaviours: findings from the PLAYCE cohort study. Image Credit: Dmytro Vietrov/Shutterstock.com
    Study: Longitudinal effects of dog ownership, dog acquisition, and dog loss on children’s movement behaviours: findings from the PLAYCE cohort study. Image Credit: Dmytro Vietrov/Shutterstock.com

    Background 

    Despite the importance of physical activity for children’s health, many fail to meet activity guidelines. Dog ownership in places like Australia is linked to higher physical activity levels in children, as owning a dog encourages more walking and play. Yet, the impact of dog ownership on children’s screen time and sleep remains unclear, and there’s a lack of longitudinal research. Ethical constraints limit the feasibility of randomized trials, underscoring the value of natural experiments or observational studies to explore this relationship. There is a crucial need for further study using advanced methods to accurately assess the effects of dog ownership on various aspects of children’s movement behaviors.

    About the study 

    The present study, initiated in Perth, recruited children aged 2 to 5 from early childhood education and care services. The study sought participation from a diverse socio-economic background, collecting baseline data from 2015 to 2018. As these children transitioned to full-time school, they were followed up until 2021, provided they met the eligibility criteria, resulting in a sample of 641 children aged 5 to 7 for wave 2, with 600 children having complete data on dog ownership across both waves. This setup created a natural experiment with four distinct groups based on dog ownership changes, allowing for a comparison of physical activity levels and other movement behaviors over time.

    Children’s physical activity was rigorously measured using ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers, processed through a machine learning model to categorize activity intensity accurately. Additionally, parents reported on screen time, sleep duration, and physical activity, offering a comprehensive view of the children’s movement behaviors. The study also considered various covariates like parental education and household characteristics to adjust for potential confounders.

    Analytical approaches included linear mixed effects models to explore differences in movement behaviors over time and by dog ownership status, adjusting for a range of variables and the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. 

    Study results 

    The PLAYCE cohort study detailed the characteristics and movement behaviors of children across different dog ownership statuses. Approximately half of the participants were girls, with a median age of 3.2 years at the study’s outset. Notably, socioeconomic factors such as the mother’s education level, employment status, and living conditions varied significantly across dog ownership groups, influencing the study’s context.

    Initial assessments revealed no significant differences in movement behaviors measured by devices among the dog ownership groups. However, when looking at unstructured physical activity, children in the dog owner and dog loss groups engaged in more physical activities than their counterparts without dogs. Interestingly, these differences were primarily due to dog-related activities. Screen time and sleep duration also varied, indicating nuanced influences of dog ownership on children’s daily routines.

    As children transitioned from preschool to full-time school, changes in their movement behaviors were observed, with variations depending on whether they acquired or lost a dog during this period. For girls, acquiring a dog positively impacted light intensity activities, whereas losing a dog led to reductions in both light intensity activities and total physical activity. Conversely, boys in the dog owner group saw an increase in energetic play, highlighting the gender-specific effects of dog ownership on children’s physical activities.

    The acquisition of a dog also positively affected both girls’ and boys’ unstructured physical activity, emphasizing the role of dog-facilitated activities in promoting physical engagement. These findings suggest that changes in dog ownership status can significantly impact children’s movement behaviors, with the loss of a dog particularly affecting girls’ physical activity levels.

    Screen time trends further illustrated these effects, with no significant changes observed in girls who acquired or lost a dog, but a distinct trajectory for girls in the dog owner group compared to non-dog owners. This divergence underscores the complex relationship between dog ownership and screen time, possibly reflecting lifestyle or behavioral adjustments associated with having a pet.

    Lastly, the study highlighted significant shifts in physical activity and screen time among children experiencing changes in dog ownership status. These results point to the potential of dog ownership to positively influence children’s physical activity, with implications for public health strategies aimed at enhancing physical engagement among young populations. 

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