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dc.contributor.authorGates, Madison, L.
dc.contributor.authorWebb, Nancy C.
dc.contributor.authorStone, Rebecca
dc.contributor.authorBallance, Darra
dc.contributor.authorYoo, Wonsuk
dc.date.accessioned2017-04-27T20:02:21Z
dc.date.available2017-04-27T20:02:21Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.identifier.citationGates, M. L., Webb, N. C., Stone, R., Ballance, D., Yoo, W. (2016). Gender disparities in weight gain among offenders who are obese upon entering correctional facilities. Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association, 5(3), 233-239en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10675.2/621407
dc.description.abstractBackground: Obesity is a significant health issue for offenders, who have a higher prevalence of obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes, compared to non-incarcerated populations. Within incarcerated populations, there are obesity disparities in terms of race, gender, and age, as well as excess weight gain during incarceration. Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted for 2005 – 2010 in collaboration with a Department of Corrections in the east south central region of the United States. From electronic health records of 10,841 offenders, weight, height, and demographic data were extracted. As determined from these data, 2,622 offenders met the inclusion criteria (two or more valid weight and height measurements and length of incarceration > zero). Results: Women offenders who entered corrections as obese had a mean (and standard deviation) body mass index (BMI) of 36.2 (5.3) at baseline; the mean for men was 34.2 (4.4). For women who were obese at baseline, their BMI increased by 1.0 (3.3); for men their BMI decreased by 0.7 (3.1). Gender differences for changes in BMI among the obese population were significant (χ2 = 15.8, p < 0.001). Women and men also differed in regard to weight gain (χ2 = 34.0, p < 0.001). Further, those women and men who were not obese at baseline had an increase in BMI that was greater than the increase for the group that entered corrections as obese (p > 0.001). Conclusions: Women offenders, obese or not at baseline, had greater gains in weight in comparison to men. However, there were no significant differences in BMI changes for race or correlations with age or length of incarceration. The findings related to gender warrant further investigations to explain these disparities and to evaluate the capacity of the corrections system to meet the health needs of women.
dc.description.sponsorshipThe Institute of Public and Preventive Health, Augusta Universityen
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherGeorgia Public Health Associationen
dc.relation.urlhttp://www.gapha.org/jgpha/jgpha-archives/en
dc.relation.urlhttp://www.gapha.org/jgpha-vol-5-no-3/en
dc.relation.urlhttp://www.gapha.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/233-239-Gender-disparities-in-weight-gain.pdfen
dc.subjectBody Mass Indexen
dc.subjectInmatesen
dc.subjectSex Characteristicsen
dc.subjectWeight Gainen
dc.subjectCriminalsen
dc.subjectBody Weighten
dc.titleGender disparities in weight gain among offenders who are obese upon entering correctional facilitiesen_US
dc.typeArticleen
dc.contributor.departmentInstitute of Public & Preventive Health, Augusta Universityen
dc.identifier.journalJournal of the Georgia Public Health Associationen
refterms.dateFOA2019-04-10T08:33:52Z
html.description.abstractBackground: Obesity is a significant health issue for offenders, who have a higher prevalence of obesity-related conditions, such as diabetes, compared to non-incarcerated populations. Within incarcerated populations, there are obesity disparities in terms of race, gender, and age, as well as excess weight gain during incarceration. Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted for 2005 – 2010 in collaboration with a Department of Corrections in the east south central region of the United States. From electronic health records of 10,841 offenders, weight, height, and demographic data were extracted. As determined from these data, 2,622 offenders met the inclusion criteria (two or more valid weight and height measurements and length of incarceration > zero). Results: Women offenders who entered corrections as obese had a mean (and standard deviation) body mass index (BMI) of 36.2 (5.3) at baseline; the mean for men was 34.2 (4.4). For women who were obese at baseline, their BMI increased by 1.0 (3.3); for men their BMI decreased by 0.7 (3.1). Gender differences for changes in BMI among the obese population were significant (χ2 = 15.8, p < 0.001). Women and men also differed in regard to weight gain (χ2 = 34.0, p < 0.001). Further, those women and men who were not obese at baseline had an increase in BMI that was greater than the increase for the group that entered corrections as obese (p > 0.001). Conclusions: Women offenders, obese or not at baseline, had greater gains in weight in comparison to men. However, there were no significant differences in BMI changes for race or correlations with age or length of incarceration. The findings related to gender warrant further investigations to explain these disparities and to evaluate the capacity of the corrections system to meet the health needs of women.


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