‘Tracking Together’—Simultaneous Use of Human and Dog Activity Trackers: Results from a Factorial, Randomized Controlled Trial

Wasantha Jayawardene MD PhD^1, , Jeanne Johnston PhD², Jimmy McDonnel BS², Laurel Curran MPH³, Lesa Huber PhD⁴, Stephanie Dickinson MAS⁵, Xiwei Chen MS⁵, Elizabeth Richards PhD⁶ and Aletha Carson DVM⁷

¹School of Human Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois

²Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana

³Department of Health Behavior, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, Texas

⁴Department of Applied Health Science, School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana

⁵Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana

⁶School of Nursing, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, Indiana

⁷Data and Clinical Research, Kinship Division, Mars Petcare, Inc., Washington

Cite this paper:
Wasantha Jayawardene MD PhD, Jeanne Johnston PhD, Jimmy McDonnel BS, Laurel Curran MPH, Lesa Huber PhD, Stephanie Dickinson MAS, Xiwei Chen MS, Elizabeth Richards PhD and Aletha Carson DVM. ‘Tracking Together’—Simultaneous Use of Human and Dog Activity Trackers: Results from a Factorial, Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Physical Activity Research. 2023; 8(1):56-62. doi: 10.12691/jpar-8-1-10

Abstract

Objectives: Dog-walkers are more likely to achieve moderate-intensity physical activity. While human activity trackers have been shown to increase physical activity intensity, dog activity trackers may increase owner’s awareness of their dog’s physical activity. This trial examined the effects of simultaneous use of activity trackers by humans and their dogs. Methods: In this 2x2 factorial randomized trial (N=85), each group consisted of dog-human duos, in which both human and dog, human only, dog only, or none were wearing an activity tracker for 8 weeks. ANCOVA tests compared ActiGraph accelerometer data across groups in week-1 and week-10. Chi-square tests compared human activity tracker data during eight weeks. Results: Based on accelerometer data in week-1 and week-10, group assignment had no statistically significant effect on sedentary, light, moderate, or vigorous activity, but between-group difference in moderate activity was marginally significant. However, activity tracker data during the 8-week trial period demonstrated that humans in the group that used both human and dog activity trackers compared to humans in the group that used only human activity trackers completed more light physical activity. There were no significant changes in body composition. Conclusions: While simultaneous use of activity trackers by dog-human duos was associated with increased light physical activity among humans over eight weeks, a longer trial with a larger sample size may establish behavioral differences between groups. Simultaneous use may also increase dog-engaged physical activities and sustained use of trackers. Future studies should explore interventions that use paired activity trackers for improving human physical activity.

Keywords:
Human activity trackers Canine activity trackers Dog walking Physical activity

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