title: A longitudinal study of health outcomes for people released from prison in Fiji: the HIP-Fiji project.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the health of prisoners and ex-prisoners in Fiji, including risk behaviours, service access and HIV status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Longitudinal study of 198 men and women recruited prior to release from prison in Fiji, interviewed in the weeks preceding release, and again 1 and 4 months post-release. Dried blood spot samples taken at baseline were tested for HIV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty percent of participants completed at least one follow-up interview. The prevalence of HIV was low (1%), despite evidence of widespread STI and BBV risk behaviours. A history of risky substance use was normative and more than a third reported high psychological distress prior to release. Fewer than one in four reported accessing health care within a month of release from prison.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The health needs of this population are significant but differ in important ways from those of incarcerated populations in other countries. Further research is needed to inform evidence-based care for prisoners and ex-prisoners in Pacific Island nations.
authors.affiliation: NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, Griffith Criminology Institute & Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, and; Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, and; School of Medicine, University of Queensland and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia s.kinner@griffith.edu.au.
authors.forename: Stuart A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kinner
authors.affiliation: PhD Candidate and Burnet Fellow, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, and; Centre for Population Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: PhD Candidate, School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saxton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005367:Fiji / Q000453:epidemiology; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011329:Prisoners / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HIV; Pacific islands; health services; longitudinal studies; prisoners