A cross-sectional study on dermatological diseases among male prisoners in southern Lazio, Italy

Global prevalence and predictors of scabies among prisoners: systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Scabies is a widespread issue in prisons due to overcrowded living conditions and limited healthcare resources. A recent study published in the Journal of Infection and Public Health discovered that the prevalence of scabies varies greatly among prisoners in different regions and facilities. This review aimed to determine the global prevalence and predictors of scabies among prisoners by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis checklist to report the findings of our systematic review and meta-analysis. Relevant databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, and other grey literature databases were used to search and retrieve articles. The study included both published and unpublished research written in English languages for studies reporting the prevalence of human scabies among prisoners. This review has been registered on PROSPERO. The heterogeneity of the data was evaluated using the I2 statistic. A meta-analysis was conducted using STATA 17 software, with a 95% confidence interval. The researchers also conducted publication bias and sensitivity analysis.

RESULTS

The review included 7 studies involving 1, 309,323 prisoners. All included studies involved cross-sectional study design. The prevalence of scabies among prisoners ranges from 0.72% in Italy to 41.01% in Cameroon. The global pooled prevalence of human scabies among prisoners was found to be 6.57% (95% CI; 2.16-19.94). According to subgroup analysis, the overall prevalence of scabies among African prisoners was 19.55% (95% CI; 9.44-40.45), while the prevalence among prisoners outside of Africa was 1.57% (95% CI; 0.77-3.19). The length of time spent in prison, sharing of clothing or beds, and hygiene practices were found to be factors that were significantly associated with the likelihood of prisoners developing human scabies.

CONCLUSION

The overall prevalence of human scabies is high among prisoners worldwide. Prisoners who spent more time in prison shared clothing or beds, and had poor hygiene practices were more likely to develop human scabies. Thus, efforts should be made by policymakers and program administrators to decrease the prevalence of scabies in prisons. The protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews with registration number CRD42024516064.

Patterns of Skin Disease among Prisoners in Central Prison in Nepal: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION

Skin diseases pose a significant health challenge globally, especially within prison settings where overcrowding and inadequate sanitation create a breeding ground for infections. Prisons, as part of society, exist in a dynamic equilibrium, serving as potential sources of infections that can spread beyond their confines. Despite facing similar challenges, there is a dearth of research focusing on skin diseases among inmates in Nepal. This study aims to assess patterns of skin diseases among prisoners.

METHODS

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study at the central prison, Kathmandu from December 2023 to March 2024. All patients with skin disease visiting the consultant Dermatologist and giving consent were included in this study. Ethical approval was obtained from the Nepal Health Research Council. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel 2010 and analysis was done by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Data were presented in the form of frequency and percentage.

RESULTS

A total of 253 patients visited the consultant Dermatologist for skin conditions. Out of which, eczema was 67 (26.50%), fungal infections 57 (22.50%), and bacterial infections 51 (20.10%). The mean age of the respondents was 34.21±12 years.

CONCLUSIONS

The fungal and bacterial infections were common among the prisoners.

Prevalence of skin diseases in Taiwan prisons: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of skin diseases among prisoners in Taiwan has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of skin diseases by sex in a sample of prisoners in Taiwan.

METHODS

We included 83,048 participants from the National Health Insurance Program. The outcomes were measured using the clinical version of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision. For prevalence, we presented absolute values as well as percentages. We also conducted an X² test to assess sex differences and age group differences in the percentages of skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases.

RESULTS

The prevalence of skin diseases was 42.25%, higher than that in the general population. The prevalence of skin diseases among male prisoners was higher than that among female prisoners (p < 0.001), and the prevalence of skin diseases among prisoners who were ≤ 40 was higher than that among prisoners who were > 40. Among all cases diagnosed with skin disease, the top three diseases were contact dermatitis and other types of eczema, cellulitis and abscess, pruritus, and related conditions. Male prisoners had a significantly higher prevalence of all types of skin diseases than female prisoners.

CONCLUSIONS

Skin diseases are common in prisoners in Taiwan. Therefore, early prevention and appropriate treatment are needed. Male-specific skin products are also needed, given the differences in the prevalence of skin diseases among male and female prisoners.

Intervention protocol to improve scabies control in enclosed communities: a case report

OBJECTIVES

To describe patients with scabies in a prison setting. Document what type of treatment was carried out. Prepare an intervention protocol to improve scabies control in the Penitentiary Center.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

All cases of scabies diagnosed in the Youth Detention Centre (La Roca del Vallès, Barcelona) between November 2018 and November 2019 were recorded. The treatment used was recorded. Bibliographical research on the protocols and treatment guidelines was carried out for community-acquired scabies.

RESULTS

The study was performed with 762 inmates, of whom 61 patients were diagnosed with scabies. 39 patients' pathologies were detected at the time of admission to the center, 11 cases were diagnosed in the first 6 weeks after entering the prison, coinciding with the incubation period of the disease. Finally, 11 more were diagnosed when they had already been in prison for more than 6 weeks and therefore could be infected cases within the center. This parasitosis was detected mainly in inmates of North African origin, 14.7% of Algerian inmates and 14.2% of Moroccan inmates presented this pathology, compared to 1.6% among Spanish prisoners. All 61 patients were treated with permethrin and 8 cases had to repeat the treatment cycle due to apparent therapeutic failure. Research literature indicates that oral ivermectin should be the drug of first choice for the treatment of scabies in prison.

DISCUSSION

The high incidence of scabies cases detected in prison led us to carry out a bibliographic review that brought about changes in the treatment protocol that may be of interest for the control of the disease in closed communities.

Analysis of live interactive teledermatologic consultations for prisoners in Korea for 3 years

Introduction Teledermatology has contributed to the enhanced accessibility of underserved populations. This study investigated the prevalence and clinical outcomes of dermatologic diseases in prisoners in Korea through live interactive teledermatology (LITD) Method The medical records of patients in a Busan prison, who interacted with a dermatologist using LITD from July 2013 to August 2016, were reviewed retrospectively. Results The mean age of the 406 patients enrolled in the study was 39.0 years and 91.4% were male. Infectious disease (42.8%) was the most common type of disease, followed by eczematous disease (29.4%) and diseases of the skin appendages (14.5%). Among the 187 (38.2%) patients who had a follow-up consultation, 162 (86.7%) showed clinical improvement, whereas 21 showed either no change or a worse clinical outcome. Twenty patients were diagnosed with different types of dermatologic disease at follow-up consultations. Discussion LITD can contribute to a favourable clinical outcome and may thus be an effective alternative to face-to-face consultation in prisoners and other underserved populations.

Patterns of skin disease in a sample of the federal prison population: a retrospective chart review

BACKGROUND

Dermatology in vulnerable populations is under-researched. Our objective was to analyze the most commonly referred skin diseases affecting the Correctional Service Canada inmates in Ontario.

METHODS

An observational, cross-sectional, retrospective chart review of inmate patients seen from 2008 until 2013 was performed. Two groups of patients were included in the analysis: those assessed in-person, and those evaluated by e-consult.

RESULTS

In the in-person patient group, the 3 most common diagnoses were acne, psoriasis and other superficial mycoses. For the e-consult group, the 3 most frequent diagnoses were acne, psoriasis and rosacea. There was a clear bias toward more inmates being seen in-person where the service was provided (Collins Bay Institution) than from other correctional institutions in Eastern Ontario.

INTERPRETATION

Most of the skin diseases that affected the incarcerated population studied were common afflictions, similar to those affecting the general population, which is in agreement with other studies. Future studies investigating skin diseases in male and female inmates across Canada would bestow more generalizable data.