[Health education in prisons: assessment of an experience with diabetics].

BACKGROUND A training strategy designed at Huelva Prison sets out to provide diabetic inmates with training and basic information about the illness. METHOD Descriptive and cross-sectional study carried out at Huelva Prison. Information was acquired using questionnaires prepared for the study. A descriptive analysis was then made using averages for quantitative variables and absolute and relative frequencies for the quantitative variables. RESULTS 27 interviewed diabetics (24 men and 3 women), participation rate, 69.2 %, response rate 84.4%, average age 48.3 CI 95% (43.7 to 52.9). 66.7% insulin dependent and 33.3% receiving oral anti-diabetic treatment. Hit rate in questions assessing knowledge was over 80%. CONCLUSIONS The study derives from the need to increase awareness of inmates' difficulties in adapting standard diets to the nutritional requirements imposed by the illness. Short term results such as these cannot be used to assess changes of attitude, although one notable conclusion that can be drawn is the high level of participation and interest by inmates and the consequent possibility of setting up self-help groups.