Oral health in prison: an integrative review

Abstract

Purpose

Prisoners’ oral health is an often overseen, yet important aspect of the general health of prisoners. To develop effective measures to improve the situation, it is important to get an overview of existing research. The purpose of this study is to examine and analyse existing research on oral health of prisoners and provide a thorough understanding of prisoners’ oral health and related factors.

Design/methodology/approach

Due to relatively few scientific papers on prisoners’ oral health, an integrative review was chosen. Integrative reviews allow for the inclusion of diverse methodologies. A literature search was conducted, followed by an assessment of the quality of the studies by using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the studies.

Findings

The few studies addressing European prisoners’ oral health in the last 21 years differ in design and methodology. The results from this review indicate that prisoners’ oral health is a complex phenomenon and should be understood from both individual and organisational perspectives. More research is needed to bridge the gap in the literature on prisoners’ oral health.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first literature review on European prisoners’ oral health.

Citation

Evensen, K.B. and Bull, V.H. (2023), "Oral health in prison: an integrative review", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 251-269. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-08-2021-0081