Weight gain during incarceration: systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Existing evidence suggests that the prevalence of overweight and obesity among prisoners in different settings is high. Evaluating weight change during incarceration would allow for the investigation of whether the prison environment indeed contributes to unfavourable weight changes. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to do a systematic review and a meta-analysis of existing evidence regarding weight change during incarceration. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a systematic literature search by using five different online databases and included grey literature. A total of 16 studies, all conducted in developed countries, were identified. Weight change was computed in 11 of these studies and was self-reported in five studies. Only two studies included youth. In all but 1 of the 11 studies using actual assessment of weight change, there was an increase in body weight or body mass index on average or weight gain occurred among a significant proportion of participants. A meta-analysis of eight of these studies showed an average weight gain of 0.43 (95% CI 0.14, 0.72) lb/week. In all studies including perceived weight change, a high proportion (43% to 73%) of participants reported weight gain during incarceration. CONCLUSION: Health promotion activities within prisons should incorporate initiatives aimed at combating unhealthy weight developments.

Mediators of socioeconomic differences in adiposity among youth: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Youth with a low socioeconomic position in developed countries are at a disproportionately higher risk of being overweight or obese than their counterparts. Tackling these inequalities requires that the mechanisms behind them are well understood. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this review was to summarize existing evidence regarding the factors that mediate or contribute to the explanation of the relationship between socioeconomic position and adiposity among youth. METHODS AND RESULTS: A systematic literature search, conducted using the databases Medline, Embase, Web of Science and PsycINFO, yielded 28 eligible studies. These studies were of low to moderate methodological quality. The most consistent mediators of the association between socioeconomic position and adiposity identified in this review were as follows: consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, television viewing, computer use, parental body mass index, breastfeeding duration, breakfast consumption, maternal smoking during pregnancy and infant feeding practices. The mediating role of physical activity as well as fruit and vegetable consumption was found to be indeterminate. Other potential mediators were explored in too few studies to make conclusions about their mediating role. CONCLUSION: The review found several modifiable factors that could be targeted as feasible in interventions aimed at reducing socioeconomic differences in overweight and obesity among youth.