Prisoners' perception of health and health promotion behaviors

This descriptivecorrelat ional study was conducted to determine the health perceptions, healthpromot ing behaviors, and influencing factors among prisoners, as well as to examine the relationship between them. The sample consisted of 234 inmates from the 1st and 2nd Open Penal Institutions located within the boundaries of Eskişehir province. Data were collected between November 2023 and January 2024 using the "Sociodemographic Information Form," the "Health Perception Scale," and the "Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II ." Data analysis was performed using the SPSS program, employing Independent Sample t-test, One-way ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation analysis. The mean score of the prisoners on the Health Perception Scale was found to be 51.43±7.66, while the mean score on the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II was 130.41±26.90. A positive, weak and statistically significant relationship was found between the Health Perception Scale scores and the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale scores. (r=0.319; p<0.001). It is recommended that the health perceptions and healthy lifestyle behaviors of prisoners be regularly and comprehensively assessed by prison nurses, and that nursing interventions aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles be planned and implemented based on identified needs following the assessment.