Smoking and Other Drug Characteristics of Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Prisoners in Australia
Table 1
Demographics and offending history by Aboriginality.
Characteristics
Smoking cessation RCT
2009 NSW Inmate Health Survey
Aboriginal men % ()
Non-Aboriginal men % ()
Total men % ()
Aboriginal men % ()
Non-Aboriginal men % ()
Total men % ()
Mean age (±SD)
32.0 (9.7)
33.8 (10.2)
33.5 (10.2)
34.1† (11.8)
36.1 (13.7)
35.5 (13.2)
Age group
<25 years
28.1
22.2
23.1
37.1
33.5
34.6
25–29 years
23.4
19.4
20.0
8.9
10.6
10.0
30–39 years
21.9
29.9
28.7
18.5
17.0
17.5
40+ years
26.6
28.5
28.2
35.5
39.0
37.9
Aboriginal origin
—
—
15.1
—
—
32.5
Country of birth: Australia
100.0†
70.2
74.9
99.6†
72.7
81.4
Left school with no qualification
56.3†
41.3
43.5
72.5†
42.5
52.3
Mean age when left school (+SD)
14.5† (1.7)
15.3 (2.0)
15.1 (2.0)
14.6 (1.3)
14.6 (1.2)
14.6 (1.2)
Institutionalised as a child (juvenile detention and/or placed in care)
56.3†
34.6
37.9
61.0*†
32.9*
42.0*
Being homeless prior to prison
9.4
6.7
7.1
13.9
10.1
11.3
Employed while in prison
67.2
72.9
72.0
55.6
61.5
59.6
Offending history
Previously incarcerated
76.6†
61.5
63.8
80.7†
55.9
64.0
Median number adult prison terms (+SD)
3.0† (3.4)
2.0 (2.8)
2.0 (2.9)
3.0† (3.8)
2.0 (3.0)
2.0 (3.3)
Incarcerated 5+ years at baseline
15.6
18.6
18.1
9.3
12.3
11.3
Sentence length 5+ years
35.9
33.8
34.1
29.8†
42.3
38.4
Health status
SF-12: mean physical component score
51.8 (8.9)
52.4 (7.0)
52.3 (7.3)
51.7 (9.7)
52.0 (10.2)
51.9 (10.0)
SF-12: mean mental component score
43.2 (7.0)
44.2 (6.5)
44.1 (6.6)
44.6 (15.1)
44.3 (14.2)
44.4 (14.5)
Insufficient physical activity
23.4
22.7
22.8
20.7
23.9
22.8
High blood pressure (140+ sys or 90+ dias)
1.6
5.0
4.5
14.5
14.8
14.7
Fair/poor self-rated health
23.4
16.3
17.4
24.8
22.5
23.3
Statistically significant comparing Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal male inmates. N/A: not available. *Ever juvenile detention ever placed in care as a child.
