A systematic review of the effect of dietary and nutritional interventions on the behaviours and mental health of prisoners.

Prisoners experience a higher burden of poor health, aggressive behaviours and worsening mental health than the general population. This systematic review aimed to identify research that used nutrition-based interventions in prisons, focusing on outcomes of mental health and behaviours. The systematic review was registered with Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews on 26 January 2022: CRD42022293370. Inclusion criteria comprised of current prisoners with no limit on time, location, age, sex or ethnicity. Only quantitative research in the English language was included. PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL were searched, retrieving 933 results, with 11 included for qualitative synthesis. Studies were checked for quality using the revised tool to assess risk of bias in randomised trials or risk of bias in non-randomised studies of interventions tool. Of the included studies, seven used nutritional supplements, three included diet changes, and one used education. Of the seven supplement-based studies, six included rule violations as an outcome, and only three demonstrated significant improvements. One study included mental health as an outcome; however, results did not reach significance. Of the three diet change studies, two investigated cognitive function as an outcome, with both reaching significance. Anxiety was included in one diet change study, which found a significant improvement through consuming oily fish. One study using diet education did not find a significant improvement in overall mental resilience. Overall, results are mixed, with the included studies presenting several limitations and heterogeneity. Future research should aim to consider increased homogeneity in research design, allowing for a higher quality of evidence to assess the role nutrition can play in improving the health of prisoners.

A Qualitative Exploration of the Lived Experiences of Patients Before and After Ileostomy Creation as a Result of Surgical Management for Crohn's Disease.

Patient experiences pre- and post-ileostomy creation as a result of severe Crohn's Disease are underresearched. A qualitative phenomenological design involving a purposeful sampling approach was used to capture the lived physical and psychosocial transition of patients with Crohn's Disease before and after ileostomy formation. Patients were recruited from the membership of the United Kingdom Ileostomy Association; inclusion criteria stipulated participants must speak English and have a diagnosis of Crohn's Disease and subsequent stoma formation. Ten (10) patients (6 women, 4 men, ranging in age from 34 to 83 years with Crohn's Disease and an ileostomy [mean time with stoma 18.3 years, range 3-36 years]) participated in indepth, semistructured interviews with questions on sociodemographic characteristics along with questions informed by the relevant literature regarding life before and after the ileostomy. All interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to examine the data and identify and interpret themes. Participants were asked to comment on these themes to ensure they were a realistic interpretation of their experiences. Two (2) major themes emerged that embodied ileostomy formation: being controlled by Crohn's and transition to a new life with an ileostomy. Crohn's symptoms controlled daily activities such as work and socializing due, in part, to the need to be in close proximity to toilet facilities. The ileostomy facilitated a transition to a new life that allowed patients to re-engage with work and social activities. One minor theme emerged: memories of Crohn's. Participants said their memories of Crohn's affected life with an ileostomy. Where Crohn's controlled every aspect of people's lives pre-ileostomy formation, the creation of the ileostomy was a positive experience because it helped manage Crohn's symptoms. Memories of life pre-ileostomy may affect individuals' behavior post-ileostomy formation. In order to offer appropriate support, health professionals may need to be more aware that having Crohn's may affect patient behavior post-ileostomy.

Preventing malnutrition in prison.

Vulnerable patient groups are at increased risk of malnutrition. This article focuses on the importance of ensuring that the nutritional needs of those in institutional settings, in particular prisons, are met. Offenders often present with a number of health and social factors which can lead to a high risk of malnutrition. The consequences of malnutrition are significant, ranging from delayed recovery to increased mortality. The treatment of malnutrition is discussed in this article from detection through to management and monitoring. Adequate nutrition is a basic human right and those in prison should be provided with healthy food choices to optimise health.