Nurses' Perceptions of Weight Gain and Obesity in the Prison Environment

This study aimed to improve understanding of obesity in prison by investigating prison nurses' perceptions of weight gain and obesity. In-depth semistructured interviews were carried out with 17 nurses who worked in two male prisons in the United Kingdom. Nurses identified a variety of factors that they believed contributed to obesity and weight gain in the prison setting. These included factors caused by prisoner behavior, such as poor food choices and sedentary lifestyle. Factors influenced by the prison environment, such as stress of imprisonment, prison regime, and prison culture, were also seen as significant. These factors were seen as barriers to the role of nurses delivering care in prison. Nurses explained how they adapted their role to overcome these barriers.