title: [The health conditions of prison inmates in Tuscany].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Investigation of health conditions of prison inmates in Tuscany (Italy) compared with non-institutionalized population and literature data.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional descriptive study of a sample recruited for a prospective cohort study. SETTING E PARTICIPANTS: Prison inmates detained in Tuscany on June 15th 2009. Istat data concerning the survey "Aspects of daily life" 2006-2009 has been used for comparison.
  
  
  METHODS
  The measures used for the analysis are prevalence data by age classes and odds ratios obtained through a logistic regression model. Outcome variables are: broad disease groups, in particular infectious and parasitic diseases and psychic disorders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prison inmates from Northern Africa and Eastern Europe are 40% of the population studied. A high consumption of tobacco is observed, with 70.6% of regular smokers among prisoners vs 33.2% among free citizens. Digestive system diseases are the most frequent diseases (25.1%), followed by infectious and parasitic diseases (15.7%). Among digestive disease,more than half are teeth and oral cavity pathologies that affect 13.7% of prisoners.Other frequently reported disease groups were diseases of the bone-muscular and connective systems (11.0%), of the circulatory system (10.8%), endocrine and metabolic systems (9.2%), traumatisms and poisonings (6.8%), respiratory system diseases (5.9%), and nervous system diseases (4.9%). The prevalence of ischemic heart diseases, diabetes, obesity and esophagitis, gastritis and gastro-duodenal ulcers is significantly higher among prisoners than in the general population. The most frequent infectious and parasitic diseases are Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection with a prevalence of 9.0%, Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection (2.2%), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection (1.4%). Hepatitis C, HIV and hepatitis A have a higher prevalence among inmates of Italian nationality, while syphilis is more common among prisoners from Eastern Europe (1.2%). The prevalence of psychic disorders among prison inmates is 33.3% (vs 11.6% in the general population), while it decreases to 29.3% if we exclude the population detained in the Psychiatric Prison.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to previous national and international studies, the cohort is more affected than the general population by physical and psychic disorders, partly associated to the prison inmate's country of origin.
authors.affiliation: Agenzia regionale di Sanità della Toscana, Firenze.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Voller
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Silvestri
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Orsini
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aversa
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Da Frè
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cipriani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003625:Data Collection; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005061:Europe, Eastern / Q000208:ethnology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult