title: Incarcerated women develop a nutrition and fitness program: participatory research.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Women in prison throughout the world experience higher rates of mental and physical illness compared with the general population and compared with men in prison. The paper finds no published studies that report on men or women in prison engaging in participatory health research to address their concerns about nutrition and fitness. The purpose of this paper is to describe a pilot nutrition and fitness program, which resulted from a unique prison participatory health research project.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women in prison designed, led, and evaluated a six-week pilot fitness program in a minimum/medium security women's prison. Pre- and post-program assessments included a self-administered questionnaire and body measures. Open-ended questionnaire responses illuminated the quantitative findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen women in prison completed the program evaluation. Weight, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, and chest measurements decreased, and energy, sleep, and stress levels improved by the end of the program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a component of a participatory research project, incarcerated women designed and led a nutrition and fitness program, which resulted in improved body measures and self-reported health benefits. ORIGINALITY VALUE: Incarceration provides opportunities to engage women in designing their own health programs with consequent potential long-term "healing" benefits.
authors.affiliation: Collaborating Centre for Prison Health and Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elwood Martin
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adamson
authors.forename: Mo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Korchinski
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Granger-Brown
authors.forename: Vivian
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: R Ramsden
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: A Buxton
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Espinoza-Magana
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: L Pollock
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: J F Smith
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: C Macaulay
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lisa Condello
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gregory Hislop
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002170:Canada; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D010809:Physical Fitness; D011329:Prisoners / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011330:Prisons; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012890:Sleep; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Health in prison; Health promoting prison; Mental health; Prisoners; Women prisoners; Women's health