title: Cardiovascular risk among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal smoking male prisoners: inequalities compared to the wider community.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) were collected as part of a randomised controlled trial of a multi-component intervention to reduce smoking among male prisoners. Cross-sectional baseline data on CVRF were compared among smoking male prisoners and males of similar age in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  425 smoking prisoners were recruited (n = 407 in New South Wales; 18 in Queensland), including 15% of Aboriginal descent (mean age 33 years; median sentence length 3.6 years). We measured CVRF such as smoking, physical activity, blood pressure, risky alcohol use, symptoms of depression, and low socioeconomic status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that 39% of prisoners had 3+ CVRF, compared to 10% in a general community sample of most disadvantaged men of a similar age. Significantly more Aboriginal prisoners had 3+ CVRF than non-Aboriginal prisoners (55% vs 36%, p < 0.01) and were twice as likely to have 4+ CVRF (27% vs 12%). In addition to all prisoners in this study being a current smoker (with 70% smoking 20+ cigarettes per day), the prevalence of other CVRF was very high: insufficient physical activity (23%); hypertension (4%), risky drinking (52%), symptoms of depression (14%) and low socioeconomic status (SES) (44%). Aboriginal prisoners had higher levels of risky alcohol use, symptoms of depression, and were more likely to be of low SES.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prisoners are at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease compared to even the most disadvantaged in their community and should be the focus of specific public health interventions.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  This trial is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN#12606000229572.
authors: School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Kensington 2052, Australia. R.Richmond@unsw.edu.au
authors: Robyn L
authors: RL
authors: Richmond
authors: Kay A
authors: KA
authors: Wilhelm
authors: Devon
authors: D
authors: Indig
authors: Tony G
authors: TG
authors: Butler
authors: Vicki A
authors: VA
authors: Archer
authors: Alex D
authors: AD
authors: Wodak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D011329:Prisoners; D011793:Queensland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires