ArticleJournal of obesity2015
The impact of incarceration on obesity: are prisoners with chronic diseases becoming overweight and obese during their confinement?
Article in Journal of obesity, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 54 citations in OpenAlex.
- Prevalence of overweight and obesity in incarcerated individuals in developed and developing countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of incarceration on cardiovascular disease risk factors: a systematic review and meta-regression on weight and BMI change.BMJ open · 2020Pooled it
- Digesting detention: how to document eating patterns in jail.BMC nutrition · 2026Article
- Burden of diabetes in correctional facilities: A global systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of clinical & translational endocrinology · 2025Article
- Review
- Prevalence and Risk Factors of MASLD and Liver Fibrosis amongst the Penitentiary Population in Catalonia: The PRISONAFLD Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
- Differences in non-communicable diseases between women in prison and the general population in Brazil.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- [Metabolic morbidity in the prison population of Catalonia, Spain].Atencion primaria · 2023Observational
- Assessment of Nutritional Status and Health Perception among Male Inmates in Israeli Prisons.Nutrients · 2023Article
- Gathering Health Perspectives of the Justice Involved: A Multisite Needs Assessment Survey.Journal of correctional health care : the official journal of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care · 2022Article
- Utilizing the Probation Office as an Opportunity to Screen for Cardiometabolic Outcomes: A Feasibility Study.Journal of correctional health care : the official journal of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care · 2022Article
- How did the tobacco ban increase inmates' body weight during incarceration in Canadian federal penitentiaries? A cohort study.BMJ open · 2019Article
- Influence of physical activity, screen time and sleep on inmates' body weight during incarceration in Canadian federal penitentiaries: a retrospective cohort study.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2019Article
- Criminal Justice Contact, Stressors, and Obesity-Related Health Problems Among Black Adults in the USA.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2018Article
- Competing priorities that rival health in adults on probation in Rhode Island: substance use recovery, employment, housing, and food intake.BMC public health · 2018Article
- Integrating prevention and health promotion in a London prison.BMJ open quality · 2018Article
- Cardiovascular Disease in Incarcerated Populations.Journal of the American College of Cardiology · 2017Review
- Obesity in French Inmates: Gender Differences and Relationship with Mood, Eating Behavior and Physical Activity.PloS one · 2017Article
- Promoting a Sustainable Academic-Correctional Health Partnership: Lessons for Systemic Action Research.Systemic practice and action research · 2016Article
- Incarceration and adult weight gain in the National Survey of American Life (NSAL).Preventive medicine · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThe association between incarceration and weight gain, along with the public health impact of former prisoners who are overweight or obese, warrants more investigation to understand the impact of prison life. Studies regarding incarceration's impact on obesity are too few to support assertions that prisons contribute to obesity and comorbid conditions. This study examined a statewide prison population over several years to determine weight gain.
methodsObjective data for weight, height, and chronic diseases, along with demographics, were extracted from an electronic health record. These data were analyzed statistically to determine changes over time and between groups.
resultsAs a total population, prisoners not only gained weight, but also reflected the distribution of BMIs for the state. There were differences within the population. Male prisoners gained significantly less weight than females. The population with chronic diseases gained less weight than the population without comorbid conditions. Prisoners with diabetes lost weight while hypertension's impact was negligible.
conclusionThis study found that weight gain was a problem specifically to females. However, this prison system appears to be providing effective chronic disease management, particularly for prisoners with diabetes and hypertension. Additional research is needed to understand the impact incarceration has on the female population.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.