Lai SW, Chang WL, Liao KF
Assessment of health status among incarcerated men. [Journal Article]
Am J Med Sci 2008 Jun; 335(6):465-8.
BACKGROUND: Few studies have focused on the health status of the incarcerated population in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to assess disease risk factors in incarcerated men.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. All 1129 newly sentenced men older than 20 years received routine blood checkups and completed a face-to-face interview from November 2004 to February 2005.
RESULTS: The mean age was 35.6 +/- 9.9 years old (range, 20-69). Of 1129 enrollees, there were 558 subjects who had never used illicit drugs (49.4%), 149 subjects who inhaled amphetamine (13.2%), and 422 subjects who injected heroin (37.4%). The overall prevalence rates were 15.0% for obesity, 9.3% for diabetes mellitus, 19.3% for hypercholesterolemia, 48.0% for hypertriglyceridemia, 62.7% for abnormal alanine aminotransferase, and 16.6% for hyperuricemia. With a control group as a comparison, the incarcerated group was less likely to have hypercholesterolemia and hyperuricemia, but more likely to have hypertriglyceridemia and abnormal alanine aminotransferase.
CONCLUSIONS: Compared with nonincarcerated group, the incarcerated men are different in certain disease risk factors and smoking habit.
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