Page 79 - Illinois Association of Park Districts Benefits of Membership 2017 - 2018

to be overweight.4 A recent report by the Institute of Medicine on combating childhood obesity even calls on local governments to expand the number of recreational facilities, parks and bike paths to help combat this national epidemic.5
In addition, public facilities make good economic sense. Park districts, forest preserves, conservation and recreation agencies employ more than 62,900 people who earn more than $621 million each year. These agencies generate a total of $371 million in capital investments for the construction of new parks and recreational facilities. In fact, the direct economic impact generated by these agencies is $3 billion per year.6 Adults who use these facilities become more valuable employees as they become healthy. One study of more than 8,000 workers at a single company found that employees who participated in a health promotion program incurred 29 percent lower health care costs than non-participants.7 Numerous studies show that absenteeism rates decline when employees participate in fitness programs.8
Public fitness facilities fulfill a community need by providing services to underserved groups
Central to the mission of park districts, forest preserves, conservation and recreation agencies in Illinois is the provision of recreational choices to residents of all ages, races and income levels.
There are differences in the extent to which different demographic groups are inactive. Population studies show that risk of inactivity is higher among African-American (33 percent) and Hispanic (32 percent) adults than white adults (25 percent).9 Risk of inactivity is also higher among lower- and middle-income than affluent people.10 Thus, many park districts, forest preserves, conservation and recreation agencies provide programming to historically underserved minority groups. And park and recreation agencies strive to develop recreational facilities in inner-city neighborhoods, where private opportunities are few. These recreational
4 Catlin, T.K., American Journal of Health Promotion, 2003.
5 Institute of Medicine. (2003). Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance.
6 Economics Research Associates. (2005). Economic Impact of Local Park and Recreation Agencies in Illinois.
7 Goetzel R.Z.; Jacobson, B.H.; Aldana, S.G.; Vardell, K.; and Yee, L. (1998). Health care costs of worksite health promotion participants and nonparticipants. Journal of Occupational Environment Medicine 40(4):341-346.
8 See Baun, William B. (1995). “The Impact of Worksite Health Promotion Programs on Absenteeism” in Worksite Health Promotion Economics: Consensus and Analysis. Robert L. Kaman, editor.
9 National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2000.
10 Sallis, J. and Owen, N., “Physical Activity & Behavioral Medicine,” Sage Publications, 1999.
79