Rural Physical Activity in the Mississippi Delta: the moderating influence of stray dogs

Concerns about stray dogs may lead to lower physical activity levels, especially in rural areas. Gender may play a moderating role in this relationship. Linear regression was used to assess relationships between physical activity days per week, stray dogs, and gender using the Rural Eastern Louisiana Food Accessibility and Active Transportation survey (N = 677). Potentially confounding covariates were controlled in analyses, including race, education, age, self-rated health, and poverty. Findings revealed that gender but not stray dogs was related to physical activity, with men averaging one more physical activity day per week than women. However, men with concerns about stray dogs reported significantly fewer physical activity days per week compared to men without such concerns. Reported physical activity days per week for women did not differ according to stray dog concerns. Rural men may be more impacted by concerns about stray dogs because they may be more likely to engage in solitary neighborhood-based physical activity. Policy implications include enforcement of leash laws and mobile spay/neuter clinic access in rural communities. Mitigating the threat of loose dogs would remove a barrier associated with physical activity in rural communities and help to ameliorate rural health disparities, especially among men.