Estimation of the burden of disease averted by leisure center membership across Spain.

Introduction: Active behavior performed in leisure centers might help reduce the negative health impacts associated with physical inactivity. The disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) is a valuation technique to quantify lifetime disease burden including both non-fatal health consequences of diseases and premature death.

Method: This study estimated the role of the largest leisure center in Spain (GO fit) in averting the burden of five diseases and premature deaths during 2017 as a consequence of the physical activity and exercise programs and services delivered. A preferred model was implemented with a static picture of the burden of disease, without including discounting rate and age-weights. Sensitivity analyses were conducted considering these two variables.

Results: The estimation was that GO fit services could have averted a total of 1,165.74 DALYs (10.96 DALYs per 1,000 members) coming from type 2 diabetes (22.62 DALYs), colorectal cancer (81.16 DALYs), breast cancer (48.72 DALYs), stroke (206.15 DALYs), and coronary heart disease (807.10 DALYs).

Discussion: These results indicate that programs and services delivered in physical activity leisure centers could help the public health agenda aim of promoting a more active lifestyle and reducing the burden of disease associated with physical inactivity.