Cardiovascular risk assessment of people living in prison in the Northern region of Ghana
International Journal of Prison Health
ISSN: 2977-0254
Article publication date: 18 January 2024
Issue publication date: 6 February 2024
Abstract
Purpose
The health of people living in prisons (PLP) frequently remains marginalised in national development discourse, particularly in resource-constrained settings like Ghana. This study aims to determine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among PLP at a prison facility in the Northern Region of Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional study involving 134 male persons in prison, aged 18–79 years, was conducted to assess their dietary habits, tobacco use, alcohol consumption, sleep behaviour and physical activity practices. Serum lipid profile, fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure (BP) and body mass indices of participants were also measured.
Findings
Almost half (48.1%) of the participants had abnormal lipid levels. Those with FBG in the diabetes range (= 7.0 mmol/l) constituted 3.9%, while 16.7% were in the impaired FBG range (6.1–6.9 mmol/l). Participants with BP within the pre-hypertension range were 54.5%. The majority of participants (92%) had a low daily intake of fruits and vegetables. Few participants were active smokers (5%) and alcohol users (2%). The average sleep duration at night among the participants was 5.54 ± 2.07 h. The majority (74%) of the participants were sedentary. About a quarter of the participants (24.6%) had overweight/obesity.
Originality/value
This study highlights the CVD risks among PLP. Findings suggest the need for targeted interventions, such as dietary and lifestyle modification strategies, regular physical activity and routine screening for diabetes, dyslipidaemia and hypertension. These interventions within the prison space could significantly improve the cardiovascular health of PLP in resource-limited settings.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Declarations:
Competing interests: The authors have no conflict of interest.
Author contribution: All authors worked together during the development and implementation of the study. Abukari Mohammed Hashim was involved in literature search, data collection, data analysis and write-up; Collins Afriyie Appiah was involved in the study design, supervised data collection and analysis, write-up and revision of the manuscript. Alexander Kwarteng was also involved in the design of the study, supervision of data collection and analysis and write-up. Sherifa Iddrisu was involved in the data collection and analysis.
Citation
Abukari, M.H., Appiah, C.A., Kwarteng, A. and Iddrisu, S. (2024), "Cardiovascular risk assessment of people living in prison in the Northern region of Ghana", International Journal of Prison Health, Vol. 20 No. 1, pp. 102-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPH-09-2022-0054
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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