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Health needs and risky behaviours among inmates in the largest prison of eastern Nepal

Gambhir Shrestha (Department of Cancer Prevention, Control and Research, B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal)
Rashmi Mulmi (Department of Cancer Prevention, Control and Research, B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur, Nepal)
Deepak Kumar Yadav (School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal)
Dharanidhar Baral (School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal)
Birendra Kumar Yadav (School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal)
Avaniendra Chakravartty (School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal)
Paras Kumar Pokharel (School of Public Health and Community Medicine, B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal)
Nidesh Sapkota (B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal)

International Journal of Prisoner Health

ISSN: 1744-9200

Article publication date: 17 December 2018

129

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the health status and risky behaviours of inmates in Nepal.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study was conducted in Jhumka Regional Prison, the largest male prison in eastern Nepal from September 2014 to August 2015. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews from 434 randomly selected incarcerated participants using semi-structured questionnaires.

Findings

The mean age of 434 participants was 35.7 years (SD 13.3). The majority (84 per cent) had at least one current health problem, of which the commonest were respiratory (50 per cent), skin (38 per cent) and digestive (26 per cent). Alcohol (73 per cent) and cigarettes (71 per cent) were the most commonly used substances prior to imprisonment. Approximately, 27 and 11 per cent reported illicit drug use and injectable drug use prior to incarceration, respectively. A total of 204 inmates reported having intercourse with sex workers. Of these, 49 per cent did not use a condom in their last intercourse with a sex worker.

Research limitations/implications

This paper illustrates that a wide range of physical and mental health problems exist among incarcerated people in Nepal. The study may lack generalisability, however, as it was conducted in a single male prison.

Practical implications

The paper suggests a need for medical, psychiatric and substance abuse care in correctional settings to improve the health status of the prison population. It is also important to develop screening policies for blood-borne viral and other infectious diseases in the prison.

Originality/value

This is the first study of its kind drawn from prisons in Nepal.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors express the gratitude to Jail Superintendent of Jhumka Prison (Ganesh Adhikary), auxiliary health workers (Yam Prasad Gautam and Dinesh Neupane) and other prison staff members for providing necessary information and for helping the authors during the interactions with the inmates. The authors would also like to thank Dr Rabin Gautam, Dr Puja Sharma and Kanchan Thapa for helping the authors edit this manuscript. Again, the authors are thankful to all the inmates who helped the authors and participated in the study.

Citation

Shrestha, G., Mulmi, R., Yadav, D.K., Baral, D., Yadav, B.K., Chakravartty, A., Pokharel, P.K. and Sapkota, N. (2018), "Health needs and risky behaviours among inmates in the largest prison of eastern Nepal", International Journal of Prisoner Health, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 254-267. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPH-10-2017-0049

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

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