A Case Report of Healthy Bodies on the Inside: A Pilot, Weight Management Intervention in Women’s Medium Security Prison in Rhode Island

Scharff, Allegra Louise

Full Metadata

Overview

Year:: 2017
Contributor:: Scharff, Allegra Louise (creator); Macmadu, Alexandria (Reader); Rosenthal, Samantha (Advisor); Brown University. School of Public Health (sponsor)
Genre:: theses
Subject:: Public health; Prisoners--Health and hygiene; Weight Managment; Public Health Intervention
Extent:: 8, 68 p.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7301/Z03X8546

Files

Description

Abstract:: BACKGROUND: Incarcerated women are disproportionately at risk of being obese and are gaining weight behind bars. However, few interventions to stop weight gain and/or encourage weight loss have been run in women’s correctional facilities. This case report describes the establishment, implementation, and evaluation of a new intervention to encourage weight loss among incarcerated women entitled Healthy Bodies on the Inside. In addition, it highlights the barriers to conducting research in correctional facilities. METHODS: After conducting formative research with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women from the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, a 6-week intervention targeting exercise and eating habits of incarcerated women was created and conducted by the authors. This intervention’s effect on weight loss for each of the women who completed the study was then evaluated using objective measurements such as body weight and waist circumference. Additionally, changes in eating and exercise habits were measured using pre- and post-intervention questionnaires and data collected from weekly tracking sheets of intervention behavior. RESULTS: Three women completed the intervention. All three women lost weight: 4.5lbs, 3.5lbs, and 1lb respectively. Adjusted for typical weight gain among incarcerated female, these women had a net weight loss of 13.3lbs, 12.3lbs, and 9.8lbs respectively. All or some of the three cases also saw an increase in daily steps (n=3), a reduction in calories purchased from the commissary (n=2), improvements in mindful eating (n=1) and reduction in sweetened beverage consumption (n=1).!CONCLUSION:!Healthy Bodies on the Inside and other cost-effective, behavioral weight-management interventions may be successful among females who are incarcerated. However, barriers to research in the prison environment may affect study enrollment and retention, decreasing generalizability of results.
Notes:: Thesis (M. P. H.)--Brown University, 2017

Content

Access Conditions

Rights: In Copyright
Restrictions on Use: Collection is open for research.

Citation

Scharff, Allegra Louise, "A Case Report of Healthy Bodies on the Inside: A Pilot, Weight Management Intervention in Women’s Medium Security Prison in Rhode Island" (2017). Public Health Theses and Dissertations. Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library. https://doi.org/10.7301/Z03X8546

Relations

Collection:

Public Health Theses and Dissertations

Theses and Dissertations for the Public Health department.
...