Working Conditions and Health of Prison Officers in Paraná (Brazil)

Abstract

Objectives: This cross-sectional study was carried out to identify the associations between working and health conditions among prison officers at a state prison in Paraná, Brazil. Material and method: A proportional and stratified random sample of 125 individuals was used. The participants, who were not identified, completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The results showed a prevalence of minor psychiatric disorders (MPD) of 30.4% (95%CI: 22.4-39.2). A total of 17.9% of the respondents had persistent stress (95%CI: 12.2-25.2), 66.4 had up to five health-related complaints (95%CI: 58.4-75.2) and 9.6% had scores that indicated higher risk for alcohol abuse and/or dependance (95%CI:4.8-16.0). Multivariate analyses showed that with an MPD outcome, health problems (p<0.01), physical environment (p=0.013) and organizational risks (p<0.01) were significant predictors. Persistent stress was predicted by age (p=0.031), health problems (p<0.01) and organizational risks (p=0.023), while health complaints were associated with health problems (p<0.01) and physical environment (p<0.01). There were no significant predictors for higher risk for alcohol abuse and/or dependance. Discussion: In general, the results demonstrate the precarious nature of the work of prison officers, and reveal the importance of further studies to evaluate whether this is a specific reality of the unit that was investigated, or whether these results are common in other prison environments.

Work for the Prison Service: selected health consequences – investigating the role of personal resources, job demands, work stress, and burnout

“…There are still a number of issues to be clarified within this subject-scope due to the fact that it is so rarely discussed. In a literature review there are diverse methodologies for analyses of stress coping through stimulants in the PS [10,54]. Predictors of alcohol abuse risk are also undetermined.…”