Prevención para las enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles en población adulta privada de la libertad, Cotopaxi, año 2020.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to implement a program of preventative measures for good health based on healthy lifestyles directed at the incarcerated, between 20 to 65 years of age, who attend external examinations at the Cotopaxi Social Rehabilitation Center. To accomplish this, a health intervention was implemented for 163 prisoners, which included practical theoretical activities. The theoretical activities were weekly educative lectures; among the practical activities, the creation of sports teams and dance therapy sessions were included. Questionnaires were applied at two different moments; first, at the beginning of the investigation (pretest) and the second at the end of the health intervention which took 4 months (posttest). A non-parametric McNemar test was utilized to identify the changes generated by the intervention with the investigation variables. The principal results include an average age of 38 to 56 years. Those who were given precedence during the pretest were those who did not consume healthy foods (73.62%), did no physical exercise (58.90%), consumed harmful substances (78.53%), and had a low level of knowledge about healthy living and disease prevention (76.69%). 46.63% of the people recounted the presence of comorbidities; 50.31% were found to be at a normal weight and 61.96% of the prisoners presented signs of high blood pressure. In conclusion, the health strategy implemented generated significant statistical changes related to the consumption of healthy foods, the realization of systematic physical activity, the nutritional state, and the level of knowledge about healthy living and disease prevention in the prisoners of the rehabilitation ward of the Cotopaxi Maximum Security Penitentiary Center.