Obesity and Weight Change in Two United Kingdom Male Prisons. (October 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Choudhry, Khurshid; Armstrong, David; Dregan, Alexandru
• Is Part Of: Journal of correctional health care. Volume 25:Number 4(2019)
• Page Start: 328
• Page End: 337
• Publication Date: 2019-10
• Subjects: prison -- obesity -- prisoner -- weight; Prisoners -- Health and hygiene -- United States -- Periodicals; Prisoners -- Medical care -- United States -- Periodicals; 365.667
• DOI: 10.1177/1078345819879925
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1078-3458

Abstract

Prisoners' weight and waist circumference were measured 6 and 12 months after imprisonment. Variables known to be associated with differences in lifestyle behaviors and obesity were considered as covariates in the study. A total of 367 prisoners were recruited into the study at baseline, with 116 of these having dropped out of the study from the 6-month to the 12-month follow-up. The obesity prevalence rate increased 50% from baseline (16%) to the 6-month follow-up (24%). Obesity prevalence rates then declined 4-fold from the 6-month (24%) to the 12-month follow-up (6%). While time in prison was associated with an increase in body mass index, this effect was influenced by intrinsic prisoner characteristics, extrinsic factors, and the prison regime.