Arlington Park will host a two-day "Horsemen's Health Fair" June 5-6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day in the backstretch area of the track. The event is sponsored and organized by the EXPORT Center for Excellence in Rural Health from University of Illinois-Rockford.All licensed horsemen are eligible to participate in the health fair, and backstretch workers are specifically invited. There will be numerous screening stations including body measurements, vital signs, glucose/cholesterol, peak flow, TB and agricultural safety. The event will yield important health status data.
The Horsemen's Health Fair is the first part of a two-year pilot grant for the research project entitled, Determining Health Status and Health Disparities of an Embedded Rural Population. The study is being conducted by Karin J. Opacich, Project EXPORT director and assistant director of the National Center for Rural Health Professions. Phase II will entail interviews and surveys of the backstretch population to gain a better understanding of health literacy, health behaviors, and health needs.