KEY STATISTICS

As the population of area residents suffering from physical and mental disabilities grows, so does the urgent need for our community to address the lack of resources, educational opportunities and accessible facilities available. One look at the numbers shows why it's so important to take action on a local - and national - scale.

Numbers at a Glance

• Over 50 percent of all people with disabilities don’t get any type of leisure-time physical activity in their everyday lives; the targeted goal of Healthy People 2010 is just 20 percent
• More than 700,000 people in Wisconsin live with disabilities
• Nearly 14 percent of people in the Appleton-Oshkosh-Neenah area – upwards of 53,000 - suffer from some sort of disability
• 29 percent of adults age 45 and above in Northeast Wisconsin have limited physical activity because of a disability
• Nearly 14 percent of Northeast Wisconsin residents report their general health as fair or poor
• Of 35 exercise facilities reviewed nationally, all of them had low to moderate levels of accessibility

The Bigger Picture
Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Survey 2006
Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services
The Courage Center
Center for Disease Control

Wisconsin Behavioral Risk Factor Survey 2006

• 59 percent of adults are overweight
• 25 percent of adults have diagnosed arthritis
• 6 percent of adults are diabetic
• 21 percent have indicated their general health was fair or poor for those 55 and older
• In 2001, only 48 percent of adults had their cholesterol checked

Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services
Percent of the Population with Selected Chronic Conditions – age 65 and above

• 15 percent of Outagamie County residents have diabetes
• 8 percent of Outagamie County residents have had a stroke
• 37 percent of Winnebago County residents have high blood pressure
• 22 percent of Winnebago County residents have heart disease
• 9 percent of Winnebago County residents have had a heart attack
• 46 percent of Winnebago County residents have arthritis

Other statistics

• 20 percent of residents in Winnebago County that have a health condition had difficulties bending, lifting or stooping and climbing a few flights of stairs – age 45 and above
• 14 percent of residents in Winnebago County that have a health condition had difficulty walking one block – age 45 and above
• Hospital admittance in Northeast Wisconsin (2004):
• 1,145 for diabetes
• 171 for high blood pressure
• 3,223 for congestive heart failure
• 6,207 for coronary heart disease
• 3,225 for stroke
• Cause of death in Northeast Wisconsin (2004):
• 288 due to diabetes
• 410 due to heart failure
• 1,715 due to ischemic heart disease (heart attack)
• 701 due to a stroke
• 470 due to lower respiratory disease (such as pneumonia)

The Courage Center
Client satisfaction - wellness & fitness

• 93 percent of clients felt they were recognizing health benefits from participating
• 90 percent would recommend the Courage Center to others
• 93 percent said the services they received met their expectations

Client satisfaction - aquatics

• 91 percent of clients felt services met their expectations
• 75 percent of clients felt an improvement in their ability to perform daily activities
• 70 percent of clients stated they are more satisfied with their level of independence

Center for Disease Control

• Nearly 59 million adults are obese; the percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the last 20 years
• Chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are leading causes of disability and death in the United States
• 125 million Americans live with one or more chronic diseases; 70 percent of the nation's total medical care costs go to treating those with these conditions
• More than 1.7 million Americans die of chronic diseases each year, accounting for 70 percent of all deaths in the United States
• If current trends continue, deaths attributed to poor diet and lack of physical activity may soon surpass deaths attributed to smoking
• Despite the proven benefits of physical activity, more than 50 percent of American adults do not get enough physical activity to provide health benefits; 26 percent are not active at all in their leisure time
• 33 percent of all U.S. deaths (about 800,000 deaths each year) can be attributed to lack of physical activity and poor eating habits