A total of 9,521 health checks were conducted across the four AFL Gather Round festival sites at Adelaide Oval, Elder Park, Norwood Oval and Mount Barker – including 7,375 Shane Warne Legacy heart checks, 1,073 blood sugar checks and 1,073 cholesterol checks.
The free heart and diabetes checks were funded by the South Australian Government in collaboration with SiSU Health, Shane Warne Legacy and Flinders University.
Gather Round attendees were provided complimentary screenings for vital cardiovascular and metabolic health risk indicators, including blood pressure, heart rate, heart age, BMI, diabetes risk, blood sugar levels and cholesterol and triglycerides.
The primary goal of the screening initiative was to improve health outcomes and reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes through earlier treatment and lifestyle changes.
The Adelaide Oval doubleheader on Saturday, April 6 drew massive crowds, setting a daily record for Shane Warne Legacy Heart Checks with an impressive 2,360 screenings conducted in a single day.
Participant feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing surprise at the quick and easy process and gratitude for access to important health information.
The campaign has seen the highest customer satisfaction (Net Promoter Score +84) ever recorded by SiSU Health across any activation of its health stations, averaging 9.4/10 and demonstrating extraordinarily positive support by the participating public.
Male participation sits at 60 per cent of all checks undertaken, showing that the message resonates with this hard-to-reach cohort in the population where they account for 47 per cent of all GP visits in South Australia (2022/23).
The health screening initiative was appreciated by locals and visitors to the state with 71 per cent of participants being from South Australia and 21 per cent from people visiting from Victoria.
Participants were able to see their results from the health checks immediately on the SiSU Health mobile app which will now serve as a valuable tool to raise awareness about susceptibility to cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes through earlier treatment and lifestyle changes.
For individuals with elevated blood pressure or a high BMI, the app will now provide prompts to consult with their GP.