The relationship between education and health among incarcerated men and women in the United States.

Publisher: BioMed Central Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 100968562 Publication Model: Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1471-2458 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 14712458 NLM ISO Abbreviation: BMC Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: London : BioMed Central, [2001-

Educational Status* ; Health Status* ; Prisons*; Adult ; Chronic Disease ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prisoners ; Sex Factors ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; United States

Background: This paper contributes to research on the education-health association by extending the scope of inquiry to adult inmates. Not only are inmates excluded from most nationally representative studies of health but they also represent a highly select group in terms of both education and health. As such, our study provides new information about the health of incarcerated populations and it extends the generalizability of the education-health association beyond the non-institutionalized population.
Methods: We use a prison-level fixed-effects regression model with the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State Correctional Facilities (n = 287 facilities) to evaluate the effects of education on a standardized morbidity scale of 11 lifetime and current health conditions among incarcerated men (n = 10,493) and women (n = 2,797).
Results: Education prior to incarceration is negatively associated with lifetime health problems for both women and men and the association is stronger among women. Among inmates who enter prison with less than a GED level of education, attaining a GED in prison is associated with better current health outcomes for men, but not women.
Conclusions: The generalization of the education-health association among prisoners further highlights the fundamental nature of education as a health promotive resource. Discussed are the implications for the education-health literature in general and health promotion efforts among incarcerated adults specifically.

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F31 DA037645 United States DA NIDA NIH HHS; P2C HD066613 United States HD NICHD NIH HHS; R24 HD066613 United States HD NICHD NIH HHS; R25 DA026401 United States DA NIDA NIH HHS

Keywords: Education; Education-health association; Gender; Morbidity; Prison; Prisoners

Date Created: 20160903 Date Completed: 20170615 Latest Revision: 20181202

20221213

PMC5009667

10.1186/s12889-016-3555-2

27586136