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Table 1 Baseline socio-demographic characteristics of non-owners at baseline by dog ownership status at one year follow-up

From: Does getting a dog increase recreational walking?

Characteristic

% New dog owners Mean (SD) (n = 92)

% Continuing non-owners Mean (SD) (n = 681)

p value

Gender (female)

62.0

57.3

0.395

Mean age (years)

39.1 (SD 9.59)

41.68 (SD 12.48)

0.021

Born in Australia

59.3

54.1

0.342

Marital status

   

   Married/defacto

75.0

84.4

0.037

   Separated/divorced/widowed

15.2

7.7

 

   Single

9.8

8.0

 

Education

   

   Secondary or less

38.5

38.5

0.073

   Trade/apprentice/certificate

45.1

35.2

 

   Bachelor or higher

16.5

26.3

 

Work status

   

   Work

87.0

77.2

0.036

   No work

12.0

15.2

 

   Retired

1.1

7.7

 

Number of hours worked1

   

   ≤ Half time

15.3 (16.5)

10.2 (13.0)

0.005

   >Half time ≤ 38 hrs/week

23.5 (25.3)

22.8 (29.2)

(0.260)

   >38 hrs/week ≤ 60 hrs/week

52.9 (57.0)

40.6 (51.9)

 

   >60 hrs/week

1.2 (1.3)

4.6 (5.8)

 

   Not in workforce

7.1

21.8

 

Occupation1

   

   Management/administration

20.7 (22.2)

12.8 (16.3)

0.002

   Professional

26.4 (28.4)

30.6 (38.8)

(0.111)

   Blue collar

23.0 (24.7)

13.4 (17.0)

 

   Clerical/sales/service/other

23.0 (24.7)

21.9 (27.8)

 

   Not in workforce

6.9

21.3

 

Household income

   

   <$49, 999

23.8

28.1

0.859

   $50–69,999

27.4

25.3

 

   $70–89,999

22.6

22.4

 

   $90,000+

26.2

24.1

 

Children living at home <18 years

61.1

48.4

0.024

Mean age of children living at home

7.24 (SD 4.20)

6.43 (SD 4.54)

0.219

<18 years

   

Type of residence

   

   Separate house

81.5

80.2

0.652

   Semi-attached

8.7

9.6

 

   Flat/unit

7.6

9.3

 

   Other

2.2

0.9

 
  1. 1 Results presented within brackets for number of hours worked and occupation excludes those not in the workforce from the sample