Intervention Mapping to Develop a Print Resource for Dog-Walking Promotion in Canada

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Public Health
• Human-Animal Interaction
• Health Promotion

Background:

• The One Health framework emphasizes the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment.
• Promoting dog walking offers mutual health benefits for owners and their canine companions.
• Developing targeted educational resources is crucial for increasing regular dog walking among owners.

Purpose of the Study:

• To understand the key determinants influencing dog walking behavior in dog owners.
• To develop educational materials and curricular content for promoting regular dog walking.
• To leverage intervention mapping for effective health promotion program development.

Main Methods:

• A qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 26 adult dog owners in Ontario.
• Thematic analysis, including open, axial, and selective coding, was used to analyze interview data.
• Intervention mapping framework was employed to identify determinants and create change objectives.

Main Results:

• Key motivators for dog walking included obligation, dog's cues, self-efficacy, pet and owner health, socialization, and routine.
• Primary barriers identified were weather, time constraints, dog's walking behavior, and safety concerns.
• A print resource was developed based on identified determinants and previous research findings.

Conclusions:

• Understanding owner motivations and barriers is essential for promoting dog walking.
• Veterinary educators can use these findings to inform curriculum on human-animal health benefits.
• Veterinarians can utilize this knowledge to counsel clients and develop tailored dog walking resources.