Opportunities for health promotion in the Queensland women's prison system.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the health of Queensland women prisoners with that of community women using the target areas of public health promotion identified by Health Determinants Queensland as a framework.


METHODS
Data from the Queensland Women Prisoners' Health Survey was compared with published community data in each of the target areas.


RESULTS
Queensland women prisoners had poorer nutrition, did less exercise, had higher rates of smoking and had a greater prevalence of asthma and diabetes than women in the community. They seemed to have a greater prevalence of mental health disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
Within the framework, women prisoners had significantly poorer measured outcomes than community women in all areas except cervical screening, breast cancer screening and overweight and obesity.


CONCLUSIONS
The Health Determinants Queensland target areas for Queensland women are of even greater priority in the subgroup of women prisoners. Benefits for the health of prisoners, and therefore the community, could be gained by expanding existing community health promotion activities to prisons through collaboration and partnerships.
Young
Megan
M
Department of Health, Queensland. megan_young@health.qld.gov.au
Waters
Barbara
B
Falconer
Tony
T
O'Rourke
Peter
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008327:Mammography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology; D011329:Prisoners / Q000193:education*; D011330:Prisons; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014626:Vaginal Smears / Q000706:statistics & numerical data