title: Prisoner health and valuation of life, loneliness, and depressed mood.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine valuation of life, loneliness, and depressed mood as mediating the association between age and race/ethnicity and health outcomes among older adult male prisoners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey of 261 male prisoners ages 45-80 from 8 Oklahoma correctional facilities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  African American prisoners report fewer health conditions than White prisoners - a finding mediated by significantly greater valuation of life, less loneliness, and lower depressed mood among African American prisoners. Older prisoners reported more health conditions  than younger prisoners independent of other study variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest improving inmates' internal states will reduce incidence of illness and disease among older male offenders and associated healthcare costs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Science, Tulsa, OK, USA. michael.merten@okstate.edu
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Merten
authors.forename: Alex J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: Amanda L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009825:Oklahoma; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology*; D011330:Prisons; D026712:Value of Life