Hospital-Based Therapy Dog Walking for Adolescents with Orthopedic Limitations: A Pilot Study

ABSTRACT Nine out of 10 adolescents fail to achieve recommended levels of aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity leading to deleterious consequences for individuals and a public health epidemic. Whereas all adolescents comprise a vulnerable population because of minimal levels of physical activity, those with an orthopedic limitation, including slipped capitol femoral epiphyses or Blount’s disease, are at greater risk despite shared characteristics with the general adolescent population such as normal cognition and independent ambulation. Few, if any, interventions examine effective strategies for physical activity in this population. Therapy dog-walking is proposed as an original approach for physical activity. Although this form of human-animal interaction is a potential strategy for increasing physical activity, it lacks credibility due to a paucity of studies using well-constructed, experimental designs. The objective of this pilot study was to use a one group (n = 7), prospective, pre/post design to assess feasibility and acceptability, and to serve as the foundation for future research on therapy dog-walking in this population. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed by results of the recruitment strategy, by process evaluation, and by participant satisfaction survey and interview. Descriptive statistics summarized participant demographics and protocol requirements, including the use of accelerometers. Wilcoxon matched pairs tests were used to assess participants’ experience with the dogs. Paired samples t-tests compared physical activity levels before, during, and after the dog-walking intervention. Pender’s health promotion model was the guiding framework for this study. Physical activity levels were significantly increased during the intervention compared to before (p = .049) and after (p = .025) as well as during the walking sessions themselves (p = .000). Participants expressed high enthusiasm for the program: 6 of the 7 participants attended 100% of the walking sessions when no restrictions to physical activity participation were present. No differences between the participant’s pre and post-intervention dog experience were found. These findings indicate a therapy dog-walking program is an acceptable and feasible strategy for increasing physical activity in this population. Additional research with a larger sample size, more rigorous methodological design, and refinement of the data collection methods is required.