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Objectives-We investigated whether there were gender differences in chronic medical, psychiatric, and substance-dependence disorders among jail inmates and whether substance dependence mediated any gender differences found.Methods-We analyzed data from a nationally representative survey of 6982 US jail inmates. Weighted estimates of disease prevalence were calculated by gender for chronic medical disorders (cancer, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, asthma, hepatitis, and cirrhosis), psychiatric disorders (depressive, bipolar, psychotic, posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and personality), and substancedependence disorders. We conducted logistic regression to examine the relationship between gender and these disorders.Results-Compared with men, women had a significantly higher prevalence of all medical and psychiatric conditions (P≤.01 for each) and drug dependence (P<.001), but women had a lower prevalence of alcohol dependence (P<.001). Gender differences persisted after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and substance dependence.Conclusions-Women in jail had a higher burden of chronic medical disorders, psychiatric disorders, and drug dependence than men, including conditions found more commonly in men in the general population. Thus, there is a need for targeted attention to the chronic medical, Correspondence should be sent to Ingrid A. Binswanger, MD, MPH, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Mailstop B180, 12631 East 17th Ave., Aurora, CO 80045 (ingrid.binswanger@ucdenver.edu). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the "Reprints/Eprints" link. Contributors I.A. Binswanger, J.O. Merrill, J. G. Elmore, and M.C. White conceptualized and designed the study. I. A. Binswanger acquired, analyzed, and interpreted the data, supervised the study, and drafted the article. P.M. Krueger assisted with data analysis. J.O. Merrill, P.M. Krueger, M. C. White, R. E. Booth, and J. G. Elmore critically reviewed several drafts of the article.Note. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, or the University of Colorado Denver. The funding sources had no role in the design and conduct of the study or analysis and interpretation of the data and did not participate in the decision to submit this manuscript for publication or in the preparation of the manuscript. Human Participant ProtectionData were obtained from secondary sources. The protocol for data analysis was approved by the Colorado Multiple institutional review board and was considered exempt by the institutional review boards of the University of Washington, Seattle; the University of California, San Francisco; and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. NIH Public Access NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript psychiatric, and drug-treatment needs of women at risk for incarceration, both ...

The purpose of this study was to provide current age-, sex-, and region-specific MS prevalence estimates and to identify trends using the National Health Interview Survey. The overall prevalence estimate was 85/100,000 population, or approximately 211,000 (+/-20,000) persons. A 50% increase was observed in the number of women reporting MS for 1991 through 1994 vs 1982 through 1986. The observed trend in higher numbers of self-reported MS among women is consistent with recent observations of higher prevalence and incidence.