Table 1 Baseline characteristics overall and by group
|  | Total sample n = 150 n (%) | SMS group n = 50 n (%) | ‘SMS + pedometer’ group n = 50 n (%) | Usual care group n = 50 n (%) | P value (SMS vs usual care) | P value (‘SMS + pedometer’ vs usual care) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Socio-demographic factors | ||||||
 Child mean age (SD) | 7.30 (1.22) | 7.42 (0.93) | 7.07 (1.30) | 6.87 (1.06) | 0.43 | 0.43 |
 Child sex (boys) | 84 (56.0) | 29 (58.0) | 32 (64.0) | 23 (46.0) | 0.32 | 0.05 |
 Parent mean age (SD) | 40.05 (5.68) | 40.47 (5.24) | 39.56 (5.34) | 39.1 (8.52) | 0.32 | 0.83 |
 Parent sex (female) | 135 (90) | 49 (98.0) | 41 (82.0) | 45 (90.0) | 0.20 | 0.19 |
Parent education | ||||||
 Secondary level | 19 (12.7) | 6 (12.0) | 9 (18.3) | 4 (8.0) | 0.52 | 0.42 |
 Trade/diploma | 34 (22.6) | 15 (30.0) | 9 (18.4) | 10 (20.0) |  |  |
 University/Post-graduate | 97 (66.7) | 30 (52.0) | 31 (63.2) | 36 (72.0) |  |  |
Work status | ||||||
 Full-time | 60 (40.0) | 20 (40.0) | 16 (32.0) | 24 (48.0) | 0.88 | 0.44 |
 Part-time | 70 (46.7) | 24 (48.0) | 27 (54.0) | 19 (38.0) |  |  |
 Not working | 3 (2) | 2 (4.0) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (2.0) |  |  |
 Home duties | 17 (11.3) | 4 (8.0) | 7 (14.0) | 6 (12.0) |  |  |
Family structure | ||||||
 Partnered | 134 (89.3) | 43 (86.0) | 44 (88.0) | 47 (94.0) | 0.51 | 0.66 |
 Single parent | 16 (10.7) | 7 (14.0) | 6 (12.0) | 3 (6.0) |  |  |
 Siblings | 111 (74.0) | 39 (78.0) | 37 (74.0) | 35 (70.0) | 0.66 | 0.74 |
Child attachment to dog | ||||||
 Level of attachment to dog (SD)a | 4.39 (0.68) | 4.40 (0.67) | 4.34 (0.82) | 4.42 (0.52) | 0.62 | 0.86 |
Feeling of closeness to dogb | ||||||
 Less overlap | 17 (11.4) | 4 (8.0) | 5 (10.0) | 8 (16.3) | 0.68 | 0.35 |
 More overlap | 133 (88.6) | 46 (92) | 45 (90.0) | 42 (83.9) |  |  |
Dog-facilitated physical activity (with child) | ||||||
Family dog walking | ||||||
 Less than once / week | 52 (32.7) | 17 (34.0) | 14 (28.0) | 17 (34.7) | 0.35 | 0.24 |
 1 -2 times / week | 49 (30.8) | 14 (28.0) | 15 (30.0) | 18 (36.7) |  |  |
 3 -4 times / week | 38 (23.9) | 12 (24.0) | 13 (26.0) | 12 (24.5) |  |  |
 ≥ 5 times / week | 20 (12.6) | 7 (14.0) | 8 (16.0) | 2 (4.1) |  |  |
Active play with family dog | ||||||
 ≤ 2 times /week | 28 (17.5) | 9 (18.0) | 5 (10.0) | 13 (26.5) | 0.54 | 0.10 |
 3 – 6 times / week | 49 (30.6) | 14 (28.0) | 17 (34.0) | 14 (28.6) |  |  |
 Daily | 82 (51.2) | 27 (54.0) | 28 (56.0) | 22 (44.9) |  |  |