An examination of chronic ill-health and lifestyle factors among inmates: searching for the healthy immigrant effect in New South Wales Prisons

• Published date: 11 September 2019
• Pages: 207-219
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-01-2019-0003
• Date: 11 September 2019
• Author: Courtney Field,Alyssa Zovko,Julia Bowman
• Subject Matter: Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Prisoner health,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice

An examination of chronic ill-health and

lifestyle factors among inmates: searching

for the healthy immigrant effect in

New South Wales Prisons

Courtney Field, Alyssa Zovko and Julia Bowman

Abstract

Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to compare the rates of chronic health conditions and lifestyle

factors between Australian-born and overseas-born inmates and to uncover predictive relationships

betweenlifestyle factors and health outcomesfor both groups.

Design/methodology/approach –Data are presentedfrom a cross-sectional study based on a sample

of inmates fromcorrectional sites in New South Wales (NSW).The inclusion of results here was guided by

the literaturerelating to the healthy immigranteffect.

Findings –Results indicate that a higher proportion of Australian-born inmates consumed alcohol at

higher levels and weremore likely to smoke on a daily or almost daily basis than overseas-borninmates.

Australian-born inmateswere also more likely than overseas-born inmates to have beendiagnosed with

cancer, epilepsy or hepatitisC. Physical activity predicted the number of diagnoses for Australian-born

inmates while physicalactivity and smoking frequency predicted thenumber of diagnoses for overseas-

born inmates.

Practical implications –Overseas-born inmates make up a considerable portion of the prison

population inNSW. A better understanding of those health andlifestyle factors that distinguish them from

Australian-born inmates provides important insight regarding health promotion and the planning of

serviceprovision for those providing health care in this space.

Originality/value –Comparison of thehealth of immigrant and native-born prison inmateshas not been

undertakenbefore and promises to provide important informationregarding those factors that distinguish

a sizeableminority in the prison population.

Keywords Substance abuse, Health in prison, Public health, Correctional health care, HepatitisC,

Prisoners

Paper type Research paper

The epidemiological study of prison inmates has rarely compared the differing health

profile and needs of those inmates bornin the country in which they are incarcerated

with those who were born overseas. A better understanding of differences in the

health profile of native-bornand overseas-born inmates would provide those responsible for

the provision of health services to people in prison with important evidence to inform the

planning of service provision as overseas-born inmates make up a considerable portion of

the prison population in a number of jurisdictions. In Australia, for instance, immigrants

account for around 19 per cent of the prison population nation-wide (AIHW, 2015). In the

state of New South Wales (NSW), the setting for the current study, overseas-born inmates

comprised 21.4 per cent of the prison population in 2016 (Corbin, 2017). A better

understanding of the health needs of thissub-population, and the factors that influence their

Courtney Field is based at

Justice and Forensic

Mental Health Network,

Malabar, Australia.

Alyssa Zovko is based at

the University of

Technology, Sydney,

Australia. Julia Bowman is

based at Research Unit,

Justice and Forensic

Mental Health Network,

Malabar, Australia and

Faculty of Health, University

of Technology Sydney,

Sydney, Australia.

Received 14 January 2019

Revised 18 June 2019

26 July 2019

13 August 2019

14 August 2019

Accepted 14 August 2019

DOI 10.1108/IJPH-01-2019-0003 VOL. 16 NO. 2 2020, pp. 207-219, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1744-9200 jINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PRISONER HEALTH jPAGE 207