Substance Use, Disordered Eating, and Weight Gain: Describing the Prevention and Treatment Needs of Incarcerated Women

Weight-related concerns are associated with women's substance use and treatment relapse. The prevalence of overweight, obesity, disordered eating behavior, and substance abuse history was assessed among female inmates incarcerated for 6 to 24 months at an Oregon state prison, using a self-administered survey and physical measurements. 

Average weight gain was 20 pounds, 87% of women were overweight (39%) or obese (48%), and 24% reported using one or more unhealthy strategies to lose weight in the past 6 months. Women who used tobacco and illicit substances before incarceration gained more weight. 

Integrating nutrition and weight gain issues into substance abuse treatment could benefit incarcerated women-both soon after entering prison to prevent weight gain and close to release to prevent relapse into substance use.

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By:  Drach LL1, Maher JE2, Braun MJ3, Murray SL4, Sazie E5.

• 1Program Design and Evaluation Services, Multnomah County Health Department and Oregon Public Health Division, Portland, OR, USA linda.drach@state.or.us.
• 2Program Design and Evaluation Services, Multnomah County Health Department and Oregon Public Health Division, Portland, OR, USA.
• 3Oregon Youth Authority, Portland, OR, USA Oregon Department of Corrections (formerly), Portland, OR, USA.
• 4Oregon Public Health Division, Portland, OR, USA.
• 5Oregon Department of Corrections (formerly), Portland, OR, USA. 
• J Correct Health Care. 2016 Apr;22(2):139-45. doi: 10.1177/1078345816634692.

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