Promoting Healthy Behaviors Post incarceration

1. Promoting Healthy Behaviors Post incarceration Erica M. Jackson, PhD, FACSM

2. Overview • Health Status, pre- to post-incarceration • Health concerns • Stress • Mental/psychological health • Physical Health • Facilitating healthy behavior choices

3. Health Status • Prior to incarceration • Presence of health problems • Risk factors for chronic disease • Poor access to quality health care • During incarceration • Lack of a national model curriculum for training health care providers • Quality may vary

4. Health Status • Post incarceration • Study of older adults recently released 79.1% reported a medical condition & 13.6% reported a serious mental illness • Rates of chronic diseases among inmates increasing • Suggested that chronic diseases are more advanced

5. Health Status • Post incarceration • Rates of chronic diseases seems to higher than in the general population • 12 times more likely to die from any cause in the 2 weeks following release than the general population

6. Health Concerns • Access to health care • Mental health • Cardiovascular health • Diabetes • Stress • Physical health • Mental health • Immune function • Poor decision making * Often comorbid conditions

7. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • Know risk factors • Modifiable & Non-modifiable • Risk factors for many conditions include: • Smoking • Poor dietary habits • Physical inactivity • Obesity • Stress • Alcohol & drug abuse

8. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • Understand & work to reduce barriers • Access to healthcare • Information about resources • Understanding of current health problems • Other necessary information (screenings, disease consequences, etc) • Behavior change strategies

9. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • Do not address multiple challenging behaviors at the same time • Consider compatibility of behaviors • e.g., exercise & smoking or drug use • Set realistic goals • Mobilize a support network

10. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • Stress management • Address obvious barriers & challenges • Find healthy outlet • Support network

11. Promoting Healthy Behaviors Tips for healthy eating • Myplate.gov • Link for professionals • Provides specific nutrition information • Easy to follow plans • Pictorial healthy plate proportional to needs • Recommendations

12. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • Reading food labels • Portions vs. serving sizes • Fats, saturated fats, trans fats • Sodium • Variety of foods • Variety of fruits & vegetables – variety of colors • Encourage water, 100% fruit juices • Avoid sweetened beverages

13. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • Choose whole grains vs. refined grains • Healthy food preparation • Lower fat dairy options • Avoid heavy cream-based sauces

14. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • Encouraging physical activity & exercise • Stress reduction & management • Helps body physiologically react to stress • Improves depression & depression symptoms • Improves anxiety • Lower risk for chronic disease • Improves blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes,

15. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • As little as 30 mins 5 days per week • Can be done in multiple sessions of at least 10 minutes • Any activityis good • Sports • Aerobic • Resistance (e.g., weights)

16. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • Activity does not have to be a structured exercise program on performed in a gym • Playing with kids • Walking for transportation • Anything to move

17. Promoting Healthy Behaviors • Substitute healthy behaviors for unhealthy one • Monitor habits and behaviors • Make a plan • Set specific, realistic goals