Table 5 - uploaded by Sharon Howell Thompson
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Food Guide Pyramid Recommended Servings and Actual Servings in South Carolina and Horry County Correctional Institutions
Source publication
The current economic downturn has caused some states to consider serving inmates less food to save money. Because South Carolina has been reported to have the lowest meal costs at $1.13/day per inmate, this study analyzed nutritional value of its prison meals. Menus were obtained from the South Carolina Department of Corrections and a county detent...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... and beans met recommenda- tions for meals served at SC (6.6 oz.) and HC (8.3 oz.) institutions, respectively. The U.S. Depart- ment of Agriculture recommended discretionary calorie value is 290, and analyses showed these daily values at 913.7 calories for SC and 535.8 calories for HC (see Table 5). ...
Similar publications
The gluten-free diet (GFD) requires special attention from nutritionists due to the potential risk of nutrient deficiencies in its users. This risk may be greater when this type of nutrition is implemented in prisons due to the limited possibilities of external control, a low catering budget for meals, and insufficiently defined recommendations reg...
Citations
... A total of 19 studies out of 63 initially identified records were eligible and included in this review (Figure 1), with 11 cross-sectional evaluations reporting diet quality [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] and 9 intervention-based studies. 32,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] Cross-sectional evaluations were carried out in the USA (n ¼ 8), [24][25][26][27][28][29]31,32 Canada (n ¼ 1), 30 and Australia (n ¼ 2) 33,34 in mixed populations (n ¼ 8) [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] or in populations of men only (n ¼ 3). ...
... A total of 19 studies out of 63 initially identified records were eligible and included in this review (Figure 1), with 11 cross-sectional evaluations reporting diet quality [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] and 9 intervention-based studies. 32,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] Cross-sectional evaluations were carried out in the USA (n ¼ 8), [24][25][26][27][28][29]31,32 Canada (n ¼ 1), 30 and Australia (n ¼ 2) 33,34 in mixed populations (n ¼ 8) [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] or in populations of men only (n ¼ 3). [31][32][33][34] In regard to assessment of diet quality, most of the studies assessed menus of food offerings in prisons (n ¼ 8), [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] although 3 studies assessed individual food intake (by 24 h recall or diet history). ...
... A total of 19 studies out of 63 initially identified records were eligible and included in this review (Figure 1), with 11 cross-sectional evaluations reporting diet quality [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34] and 9 intervention-based studies. 32,[35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] Cross-sectional evaluations were carried out in the USA (n ¼ 8), [24][25][26][27][28][29]31,32 Canada (n ¼ 1), 30 and Australia (n ¼ 2) 33,34 in mixed populations (n ¼ 8) [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] or in populations of men only (n ¼ 3). [31][32][33][34] In regard to assessment of diet quality, most of the studies assessed menus of food offerings in prisons (n ¼ 8), [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] although 3 studies assessed individual food intake (by 24 h recall or diet history). ...
Background
Mounting evidence has shown that incarceration can affect the health and well-being of individuals and increase the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Diet quality is known to be one of the main determinants of risk of NCDs, and dietary changes are the first approach used in primary care to reduce the incidence of NCDs.
Objective
This scoping review aimed to summarize the evidence for (1) the diet quality of inmates, and (2) the effect of nutritional intervention in prison systems. In addition, we aimed to describe limitations in the current literature and to suggest potential future research areas.
Method
A systematic search was performed in 2 databases (PubMed and Web of Science) using predefined search terms and covering the period May 2023 to June 2023. Additionally, reference lists from the retrieved studies were hand-searched to identify any additional relevant publications. The identified literature was screened based on defined search strategies, criteria, and research questions defined using the PICo (population or problem, interest, and context) framework. The review was conducted referring to the PRISMA-ScR and the PICo framework.
Results
A total of 19 studies out of 63 initially identified records were included in this review (11 cross-sectional evaluations and 9 intervention-based studies). In almost all studies, assessment of the diet quality of menus showed the menus to be nutritionally adequate, except for having a higher-than-recommended intake of total energy, saturated fatty acids, sodium, cholesterol, and sugar. In addition, some studies reported a lower-than-recommended intake of fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamins D, E, and A, and omega-3 fatty acids. Nutritional interventions were mainly planned in the form of workshops, seminars, and written material to deliver information on healthy dietary choices. Although no significant changes in inmates’ dietary choices were observed in any of the studies, a high participation rate was detected.
Conclusion
Inmates might require additional prevention intervention to reduce their susceptibility to cardiometabolic diseases by virtue of their isolation from community facilities. Interventions should be tailored to the characteristics of prison settings and inmates to increase adherence to nutritional recommendations.
... These studies illustrate how the role of food in prison goes beyond nourishment and how prison food can be a symbol of power, of punishment or used as currency (Woods-Brown et al., 2023;Johnson et al., 2018b). In this unique setting, incarcerated people rely entirely on food available in the prison setting, as they typically only have access to foods inside the "closed food system" (Rosenboom et al., 2018;Collins and Thompson, 2012). Because the "closed food system" is heavily regulated and will likely influence the food experience (Smoyer, 2019), it is vital to understand the intricacies of the lived experience from the perspective of incarcerated individuals to provide informed recommendations to improve their experience (Woods-Brown et al., 2023). ...
... It is another factor that can influence the prison food experience. In some settings, inmates will help prepare the food for the prison population (de Graaf and Kilty, 2016), whereas in others, they will only help distribute it (Chatterjee and Chatterjee, 2018;Collins and Thompson, 2012). ...
Purpose
This study aims to focus on studies that qualitatively explore prison food experience. The goal is to elaborate a framework to better understand how prison food shapes the worldwide carceral experience.
Design/methodology/approach
This systematic literature review was based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement. It consists of four phases: identifying the studies, screening the studies, evaluating the eligibility of screened studies and inclusion of studies. After the four phases, ten studies (nine qualitative studies and one with mixed methods) were included in the review.
Findings
There is a consensus among the researchers in the reviewed literature that prison food shapes the carceral experience. More specifically, four themes that encompass the experience of people with prison food emerged from the reviewed literature: food appreciation (taste of the prison food and perceived nutritional value), food logistics (preparation, distribution and consumption), food variety (institutional menu and commissary store) and food relationships (symbol of caring or power or punishment).
Originality/value
The literature reviewed demonstrated that when incarcerated individuals have a negative view of prison food, the carceral experience is negatively impacted. This systematic review identified four dimensions that encompass the food experience within the prison environment, providing a framework for navigating this subject.
... Malnutrition in underweight or overweight people is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in prison in developing and developed countries [1]. In developed countries, inmates are gaining more weight, faster, relative to the general population [8]. It has been demonstrated that many inmates sentenced to long incarceration periods gain weight, with obesity rates rising during incarceration [9,10]. ...
The nutritional and health perceptions of inmates are crucial to their overall well-being. However, limited research has been conducted on this topic. This study aimed to assess the nutritional and health perception state of male inmates in eleven prisons in Israel. A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and September 2019 with 176 voluntary participants. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, healthy habits, subjective health status, and prison situation variables. The study found that the prevalence of overweight (40%) and obesity (18.1%) among 18–34-year-old inmates was significantly higher than in the reference Israeli population. Short detention periods (up to one year) predicted less weight gain, while older age predicted poorer health status. Better emotional status significantly predicted better subjective health status among male inmates. There is a need for nutrition interventions to improve the health of inmates. The significant weight gain during incarceration and the associated lower health index and stress highlights the importance of increasing knowledge and promoting a healthier lifestyle in incarceration as early as possible and continuing over time.
... Indeed, recent data have demonstrated modulation of extra-skeletal effects such as the immune system, cardio-vascular diseases, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cancer, conditions commonly linked with obesity (10). The prison population is known to suffer from many chronic diseases such as diabetes, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular diseases, as well as bone diseases (2,11). This is the first published research into vitamin D levels in an Italian prison population. ...
Introduction:
Prisoners are at risk of developing vitamin D deficiency due to their lacking exposure to sunlight. So far, there are no published studies evaluating blood levels of vitamin D in relation to the health status of inmates and the quality of the Italian prison system.
Aim:
To investigate vitamin D status and its determinants in a cohort of prisoners.
Subject and methods:
One hundred and seventy-two (172) pri-son inmates (males, n=159, age 47± 11.3 years; females, n=13, age 43.91±12.18 years) of three penitentiaries in the province of Salerno. Vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency and sufficiency were respectively defined as a 25(OH)D level <20 ng/mL; from 20 to 30 ng/mL, >30 ng/mL.
Results:
In our group, Vitamin D deficiency occurs in 77.32% of the prisoners with 32.55% of the cases having severe insufficiency. Prisoners with higher BMI show lower circulating vitamin D levels (p<0.001). No significant relationship was found with the duration of detention (Pearson R: 0.01).
Conclusion:
In this cohort of inmates the vitamin D status is determined by BMI, but not by the duration of the detention.
... Information on diets and nutrient intake during incarceration is limited worldwide and non-existent in Canada to our knowledge. Two American studies in the last decade have shown that the menu served in prisons typically has certain nutrients that are either in excess or in inadequate quantities for the prison population [19,20]. Recently a Polish study reported that approximately 90% of individuals exhibited a low value of the Pro-Healthy Diet Index during incarceration using the KOMPan questionnaire [21]. ...
... Sodium provisions are a concern in most correctional facilities, as the offering is usually above recommendations. In one American study, the average sodium content from the menu was 4500 mg [19], whereas in another, the menu provided amounts (3400 mg) similar to our study [20]. Generally speaking, most Canadians (incarcerated or not) consume more sodium than is recommended [32], which makes providing a menu with less than 2300 mg of sodium difficult and unpalatable. ...
... The issue around sodium is complex since there is evidence that during incarceration, people rely heavily on food from the commissary store, which is basically a convenience store within the penitentiary [20,[35][36][37]. Commissary stores typically sell junk food [37,38] and the food purchased there generally is high in sodium [39]. ...
The food served in Canadian penitentiaries was scrutinized following food service reform where Correctional Service Canada (CSC) created a standardized menu to feed incarcerated male individuals. Food in prison is a complex issue because penitentiaries are responsible for providing adequate nutrition to the prison population, who are vulnerable to poor health outcomes but are often seen as undeserving. This study aimed to analyse the national menu served in Canadian penitentiaries, in order to compare them with Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for male adults and the internal nutritional assessment reported by CSC. The goal was to verify if the menu served was adequate and to validate CSC’s nutritional assessment. The diet analysis software NutrificR was used to analyse the 4-week cycle menu. Both analyses were within range for DRIs for most nutrients. However, some nutrients were not within target. The sodium content (3404.2 mg) was higher than the Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (UL) of 2300 mg, the ω-6 (linolenic acid) content (10.8 g) was below the AI of 14 g, and the vitamin D content (16.2 μg) was below the target of 20 μg for individuals older than 70 years. When these outliers were analysed in-depth, the menu offering was consistent with the eating habits of non-incarcerated individuals. Based on this nutritional analysis and interpretation of the results in light of the complex nature of prison food, this study concludes that CSC meets its obligation to provide a nutritionally adequate menu offering to the general population during incarceration.
... The declaration of the consumption of three meals per day which was stated by the majority of the respondents (41.23%) is mainly related to the legal regulations specifying the number of meals that must be served in Polish prisons. Similar policies regarding the number of meals in prisons are implemented in other countries as well, e.g., the US [39,40], England [41], and the Balkan countries [42]. A higher number of meals (four) are served for juvenile detainees in the UK [43] and adult prisoners in Norway [44]. ...
Physical activity and healthy diets are determinants of the health of convicts who are
deprived of freedom. However, little research has focused on these two aspects concurrently. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationships between the level of prisoners’ physical activity and their dietary habits, diet quality, and nutritional knowledge. The cross-sectional study was conducted with 226 prisoners. The inclusion criteria included male sex, age 18–65 years, and consent for the research. We excluded the subjects who met any of the following conditions: female sex, unwillingness to participate, and dangerous prisoner status. The KomPAN questionnaire was used to assess the prisoners’ eating habits, diet quality, and level of nutrition knowledge. The “Last 7d” short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess the prisoners’ level of physical activity. A significant correlation between the prisoners’ age and their levels of physical activity was found (p = 0.008). Prisoners who were aged 18–29 and over 40 declared a low
level of physical activity, whereas those aged 30–40 reported a high or medium level. The level of physical activity of the surveyed prisoners was not significantly correlated with their dietary habits, the quality of their diet, or their nutrition knowledge.
... Limited information exists on foods served in correctional facilities, inmates have limited choices of what they can eat, and the variety of food itself is limited within the correctional environment (Collins & Thompson, 2012;Cook et al., 2015). Cost is a primary contributor to these limitations. ...
... This lack of consistent regulation may be leading to inappropriate or inconsistent nutrition care within correc-tions. In South Carolina, Collins and Thompson (2012) found excessive dietary offerings of cholesterol, sodium, and sugar along with lower than recommended levels of fiber, magnesium, potassium, vitamin D, and vitamin E. In Georgia, Cook et al. (2015) found macronutrient ranges were met. However, sodium offerings were 303% of recommended levels, and higher than recommended levels of cholesterol and sugar were evident. ...
... Saturated fat recommendations were also found to be met. These findings are also in line with Cook et al.'s (2015) findings; however, they are not in line with previous findings of saturated fat offerings within a correctional setting of >10% of total calories identified by Collins and Thompson (2012). ...
Improvement in nutritional care in correctional institutions may reduce the burden of related chronic health conditions. Even when nutritional standards are used, inconsistent use of standards and lacking regulations may be leading to inappropriate or inconsistent nutrition care in corrections. Midwestern state department of corrections' menus revealed excessive calorie offerings and low offerings of vegetables on male and female menus, and low fruit and dietary fiber offerings on male menus. A majority of vitamin and mineral offerings met recommendations when reported; however, they were inconsistently underreported across states. When reported, potassium and vitamin E were offered at less than recommended levels while sodium was excessively offered. Consistency in use and increased accountability in meeting nutrition standards may improve nutrition care within corrections.
... For example, in more recent times, the number of inmates with criminogenic needs has increased, while participation in institutional programs has decreased (Chamberlain, 2011). In addition, there is little detailed information on trends in the food supply for inmates, but research indicates that there is much room for improvement in the current prison diet (Collins & Thompson, 2012;Cook et al., 2015;Smoyer, 2019). As mentioned before, there were shifts in the RDA of micronutrients since 1990, causing the lower-dose formula to deviate from what is nowadays regarded as 100% RDA; see Appendix 1 for details (Food and Nutrition Board Institute of Medicine National Academies, 2011). ...
We investigated whether vitamin-mineral supplementation could reduce serious rule violations. In this randomized, controlled, double-blind trial, young adult male inmates were included. For 15 weeks, they received a daily dose with vitamin-mineral supplements of approximately 100% Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) ( n = 149), or a higher-dose formula ( n = 150), or placebo ( n = 150). Serious rule violations were the primary outcome. In the lower-dose group there were 39% fewer rule violations than in the placebo group (relative risk = .61; 95% confidence interval [ CI]:.41–.90, p = .01). In the higher-dose group the difference did not reach statistical significance. About 100% RDA, but not higher doses supplements, resulted in less serious rule violations than placebo.
... The diet given at a prison in South Carolina was analysed, and showed high levels of cholesterol, sodium and sugar, and low levels of fibre, magnesium, potassium, vitamin D and E 14 . ...
Objectives:
Overweight and obesity constitute a public health problem; There are few prevalence studies of inmates. The objectives of this study are to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity amongst inmates of the Islas Marias Prison Complex and to evaluate the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) as diagnostic measurements for abdominal obesity in this population.
Material and method:
Analytical, retrospective cross-sectional study at Rural Hospital No. 20 Islas Marias Nayarit, Mexico, with 426 cases from January 2016 to March 2017, who were male inmates from 18 to 73 years of age. The following ratios were calculated: BMI, WHR WHtR. A descriptive analysis was carried out for quantitative variables, frequencies and percentages by group, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), Youden index, positive and negative likelihood ratios of WHR and WHtR; ANOVA F test, Student's t-test, ROC curve, STROBE statement, SPSS v. 22.
Results:
51.41% cases presented as overweight, 25.35% were obese, the cut-off point was 0.935 for WHR (s = 0.833; e = 0.717) and 0.545 for WHtR ICA (s = 0.981; e = 0.818). WHtR showed a good performance according to the Youden index.
Discussion:
There was a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in prisoners at the Islas Marias Prison Complex, WHtR showed better performance than WHR for diagnosing abdominal obesity. It is suggested that measurement of WHI should be included in daily medical practice.
... kcal [11], whereas one of the prisons in Warsaw served meals with a daily calorie intake of 3188.8 kcal [12]. For comparison, the average energy value of meals was 2481 kcal [25] and 2291 kcal [26] in some US prisons, 2561 kcal [27] in Britain, and 2710 kcal [28] in Australia. ...
... The supply of minerals was particularly high in the case of sodium, manganese, copper, and phosphorus. The problem of dietary sodium supply significantly exceeding nutritional recommendations has been reported not only in prisons [25,26,28,37] but also in kindergartens [38,39], schools [40,41], and hospitals [42]. One of the effects of excessive consumption of this mineral is the increased risk of hypertension [43]. ...
Adequate nutrition in prisons should constantly be monitored due to the limited possibilities of external control as well as the low catering budget for prison meals and poorly defined requirements in this regard. The aim of the study was to assess the nutritional value of meals served in Polish prisons. Using a computer program, 14-day regular and bland diets from 30 prisons were analyzed. The energy value of the meals and the percentage of energy provided by protein, fat, and carbohydrate contained therein were found to meet the recommendations of the Polish National Food and Nutrition Institute. The amount of minerals supplied with the diet did not cover the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) in the case of calcium and magnesium. Particularly disturbing was the excessive supply of sodium in the regular and bland diets, which covered 537% and 311% of the dietary reference intake (DRI), respectively, as well as phosphorus (194 and 192% of RDA). The largest vitamin deficiencies were recorded for vitamins D and C and folate. An especially excessive supply was observed for vitamins A and B12. The type of diet significantly differentiated the average content of over half of the analyzed components, whereas the season of the year turned out to be statistically insignificant. The results of the present investigations indicate a need for development of more accurate legal provisions to regulate the nutrition in Polish prisons in terms of not only the energy value and macronutrient supply but also the intake of minerals and vitamins.
