Original Articles HEALTH AND DISEASE STATUS OF FEMALE INMATES IN CENTRAL JAIL KARACHI: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Background:
Globally, female prisoners represent about 7% of the total prison population. Women in prisons need special treatment due to their separation from their communities, homes, and families. There is a high incidence of chronic diseases among prisoners in many parts of the world.

Objective:
The study aimed to identify the general health condition among female inmates in Karachi prison.

Material and Methods:
A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2019. Data were collected from 100 women prisoners in Central Jail, Karachi using a non-probability convenient sampling technique. A pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect the data about health
issues among women prisoners. Descriptive analysis was done and a Chi-square test was used to observe the association of different variables with disease status and time in imprisonment. p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:
Out of 100 inmates, 30% suffered from different health problems and 49% were prisoned for more than 6 months. The majority of the prisoners (58%) were addicted, 96% used tap water for drinking and 73% were satisfied with sanitary conditions in prison. Statistically significant (p<0.05) difference was found between hypertension and allergic diseases with time spent in prison.

Conclusion:
Female prisoners face many health problems during their imprisonment. Although sanitary conditions are satisfactory and treatment facility is available in prison, a significant proportion of female prisoners suffer from different acute and chronic diseases.