Abstract
BackgroundDespite the fact that prisoners are exposed to different health problems, prison health problems are often overlooked by researchers and no previous study has investigated nutritional problems of prisoners in Ethiopia.MethodsCross-sectional data were collected from 809 prisoners from nine major prison setups in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. A proportional stratified sampling technique was used to select the total number of participants needed from each prison site. The outcome of this study was underweight defined as body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg/m2. Multivariable binary logistic regression was performed to identify determinants of underweight at a p-value of less than 0.05.ResultsThe prevalence of underweight was 25.2% (95% CI; 22.3%- 28.3%). Khat Chewing (OR = 2.08; 95% CI = 1.17, 3.70) and longer duration of incarceration (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.01, 1.14) were associated with a significantly increased risk of underweight. Additionally, previous incarceration (OR = 1.54; 95% CI = 0.99, 2.42) was a relevant determinant of underweight with a borderline significance. In contrast, family support (OR = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.43, 0.85) and farmer occupation (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.36, 0.98) compared to those who were unemployed were important protective determinants significantly associated with lower risk of underweight.ConclusionIn summary, the burden of underweight was higher among prisoners in Tigray region who had respiratory tract infections. The study has enhanced our understanding of the determinants of underweight in the prison population. We strongly recommend that nutritional support, such as therapeutic feeding programs for severely or moderately underweight prisoners, and environmental health interventions of the prison setups should be urgently implemented to correct the uncovered nutritional problem and its associated factors for improving the health status of prisoners.
Highlights
Despite the fact that prisoners are exposed to different health problems, prison health problems are often overlooked by researchers and no previous study has investigated nutritional problems of prisoners in Ethiopia
According to prison authority officials, the main reason of this was the fear that prisoners could escape
We found that most prisoners had clinics which were poorly equipped, mostly with basic emergency level medical supplies, staffed by diploma holding nurses who were formerly assistant military nurses
Summary
Despite the fact that prisoners are exposed to different health problems, prison health problems are often overlooked by researchers and no previous study has investigated nutritional problems of prisoners in Ethiopia. Prisoners are exposed to a number of unfavorable health and health deterring factors including higher risks of mortality and injuries [1,2,3,4,5]. The literature indicates that prisoners face different nutritional problems ranging from several micronutrient. Studies reported that poor nutrition was significantly associated with severity of pneumococcal pneumonia and risk of acquiring tuberculosis infection [21, 22]. Several other studies showed that underweight and micronutrient deficiencies were associated with higher odds of respiratory infections [23,24,25]. In the case of Ethiopia, the prison health system seems to be not well integrated
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