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| == Medical conditions == | == Medical conditions == | ||
| === Physical |
=== Physical Health === | ||
| There are numerous physical health conditions that arise for prisoners in Australia. Some of the most common health problems include; asthma, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and complications to oral health. | There are numerous physical health conditions that arise for prisoners in Australia. Some of the most common health problems include; asthma, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and complications to oral health. | ||
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| ==== Oral Health ==== | ==== Oral Health ==== | ||
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| === Infectious |
=== Infectious Diseases === | ||
| ==== Sexually Transmissible Infections ==== | ==== Sexually Transmissible Infections ==== | ||
Revision as of 22:04, 12 May 2019
Prisoners in Australia are generally from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background, and often have higher rates of tobacco smoking, illicit drug use and alcohol consumption in comparison to the general public. The disadvantages in socioeconomic background consequently develop into a significant disparity in health between prisoners and the general public in Australia.
The health of prisoners is an ongoing issue in Australia requiring assessment, as the health status of prisoners project onto the society of Australia as a whole.
History
Socioeconomic factors
The acknowledgement that there is correlation between socioeconomic factors to health and wellbeing is not limited to Australia, but accepted worldwide.
Common socioeconomic factors of prisoners in Australia that reflect onto the health and wellbeing include cultural background, education and family relationships/upbringing.
Cultural Background
The majority of prisoners in custody are born in Australia, at eighty-one percent. Three percent are born in New Zealand, two percent are born in Vietnam, two percent are born in the United Kingdom and the remaining eleven percent from other countries.
Education
"Education is one of the recognised social detriments to health, with lower levels of education being strongly associated with poorer health".
Family
Medical conditions
Physical Health
There are numerous physical health conditions that arise for prisoners in Australia. Some of the most common health problems include; asthma, arthritis, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and complications to oral health.
Asthma
Asthma is a common respiratory disease amongst prisoners in Australia, and is frequently caused by contaminated prison conditions, such as airborne substances and inadequate health habits such as the smoking of tobacco, excessive alcohol consumption and illicit drug use. Nearly a quarter of male prisoners have been diagnosed with asthma (22%) and over a quarter of female prisoners have been diagnosed with asthma (31%). Also, Asthma is more prevalent in prisoners as age increases, with the exception of ages between 25 and 34, where asthma diagnosis rate is highest (29%).
There is no evidence of asthma being significantly more prevalent in Indigenous Australians (25%) relative to Non-Indigenous Australians (23%).
Arthritis
Arthritis refers to numerous medical conditions that affect the joints, and although it is more frequent as age increases, anyone from any age group can be diagnosed with a type of arthritis.
Although it is one of the most common medical conditions that prisoners in Australia are diagnosed, it is unknown to researchers the singular cause of Arthritis, and is concluded that combination of
Cancer
Cardiovascular Disease
Diabetes
Hypertension
Oral Health
Infectious Diseases
Sexually Transmissible Infections
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus
"More than 300,000 Australians are estimated to have been exposed to HCV virus, of whom around 226,700 are living with chronic infection, including 16,000 Indigenous Australians".
Mental Health
Self-harm
Health services
While Australians have access to free and subsidised healthcare in the form of medicare, prisoners are not granted medicare and are therefore not granted access to free and subsidised healthcare.
Generally, nurses are predominantly the first
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References
- ^ The health of Australia's prisoners 2015. Canberra: Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. 2015. ISBN 978-1-74249-866-9.
- Mokhlis, Michael (2016). "Hepatitis C in Australian prisons: a national needs assessment". International Journal of Prisoner Health. 12: 3–16.