Yonsei Med J.  1997 Aug;38(4):220-232. 10.3349/ymj.1997.38.4.220.

A path analysis on prisoners' health behavior and medical utilization

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 2Graduate School of Health Science and Management, Yonsei University, Korea.
  • 3Department of Preventive Medicine, Pochon CHA University College of Medicine, Korea.

Abstract

In this thesis, Korean prisoners' health behavior and the characteristics of their medical utilization were surveyed and analysed. Because prisoners are inclined to be mediators of communicable diseases or unhealthy behaviors between prison institution and the outside world, health care for prisoners is directly related to the national population. Data were collected through a self-administered survey of 5 Korean prisons out of a total of 38 correctional facilities and analysed in accordance with a causal model based on a path frame, by serial multiple regressions on health behavior, health status, and medical utilization, etc. According to the survey analysis, while prisoners were generally concerned with their health much more than they were before imprisonment, they perceived that their health status had deteriorated after imprisonment, and that their need for health services was increasing gradually during their time in prison. In the path analysis on the causal relations among variables related to the prisoners' health status and medical utilization, the prisoners' characteristics affected their health concern and health behavior, and subsequently affected their health status and medical utilization, respectively. To sum up these exploratory studies on prisoners' health behavior and health service utilization, some efforts to organize a health care system embracing the correctional institution and health care administration should be made on the level of establishing a health care delivery system for special social groups like prisoners.

Keyword

Path analysis; prisoner; health behavior; medical utilization

MeSH Terms

Adult
Female
Health Services/utilization*
Human
Korea
Male
Patient Acceptance of Health Care*
Prisoners*
Full Text Links
  • YMJ
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr