Investigation of the Correlates and Effectiveness of a Prison-Based Wellness Program

Abstract

In 2006, a comprehensive wellness intervention, titled Wellness Works, was implemented in an incarcerated male population at a 200-bed facility in LaGrange, Kentucky. The purpose of this study was to determine health risk factors and benefits of program participation by analyzing data from a pre-/post-participation health risk assessment (HRA). In total, 448 inmates completed the pre-HRA and 177 (40%) completed the post-HRA. Among program completers, two of the six measured domains (smoking and depression) showed significant improvement at the post-HRA while the other domains (exercise, nutrition, stress, and dental hygiene) did not show significant changes. Overall, this study shows positive signs of improving the health of the incarcerated population with this wellness program, but also points to the need for a controlled study.

Decayed Prospects

“…A study of continuously incarcerated persons in the North Carolina prison system found that their program of care was able to markedly improve the oral health of a sample of inmates between 1996 and 1999, affirming the idea that dental health improves when institutions provide access to services (Treadwell & Formicola, 2005). Programs aimed at improving inmate responsibility for their own dental health may require changing behaviors and beliefs about good health care (Akbar, Turner, Themessl-Huber, Richards, & Freeman, 2012; Clouse, Mannino, & Curd, 2012), and such programs must consider the availability of dental health care workers. Receiving the necessary care while incarcerated is often an unmet need not solely for lack of effort on the part of the institution, but due to a shortage of dental health care practitioners in the community (Ringgenberg, 2011; Robertson, 2011).…”

Coronary Artery Disease in Offender Populations

“…Recently, the Wellness Works program, an intervention aiming to decrease risk factors for poor health (including smoking, poor exercise and nutrition, stress, and depression), was implemented in a Kentucky Department of Corrections facility (Clouse, Mannino, & Curd, 2012). Forty percent of inmates completed the wellness program, and significant improvements were found with regard to smoking and depression.…”

“…While these approaches vary in their effectiveness in community settings, there is no evidence to suggest that interventions in correctional institutions would not be useful (Pennant et al, 2010). Both The WISEWOMAN (Khavjou et al, 2007) and the Wellness Works (Clouse et al, 2012) programs appear feasible in prison settings. Furthermore, the limited data on release planning have shown that specific planning with regard to heart disease may be a rare event (Wolff et al, 2002).…”

Life-Course Persistent Antisocial Behavior and Accelerated Biological Aging in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort

“…A study of 32,974 warehouse employees indicated that worksites with a wellness program had a higher rate of employees who reported engaging in regular exercise and actively managing their weight [ 60 ]. In the US prison context, an investigation of a wellness programs’ effectiveness showed some evidence of reducing depression and smoking for individuals who completed the entire program, although improvements in exercise and nutrition were not evident [ 61 ]. These results may be attributable to environmental factors associated with correctional facilities, such as strict rules and regulations as well as poor nutritional offerings.…”