Inside Ageing: Application 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Inside Ageing: A review of the health and wellbeing needs of older men held in custody in Northern Ireland
IRAS ID
187702
Contact name
Nicola Carr
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 29 days
Research summary
This study will explore the health and wellbeing needs of an ageing male prison population, using a mixed methods research design. A survey will be administered to all older men aged 50 and over who are in prison in Northern Ireland. The survey will assess the health and wellbeing needs of older prisoners, which is an underdeveloped topic within research and public health in Northern Ireland. The survey will also allow comparisons to be drawn about how the health of the prison population may differ from that of people living outside prison. If the sample size permits, a typology of older prisoners will be developed based on demographic and sentence characteristics, and their responses on the questionnaire compared. This will enable comparisons to be made about how the health and wellbeing needs differ within the diverse older prisoner population. Qualitative semi-structured interviews will be carried out with a small number of prisoners to explore perceptions of health and wellbeing; access to services to address their needs; ageing in general; experience of ageing in prison; and health improvement opportunities in prison. These qualitative interviews with older prisoners will allow richer data to be drawn about how they understand their experiences. It is hoped that this research can inform the future planning of the prison environment and health care services. The study is being carried out by Sarah Lawrence, who is studying for a PhD at Queen’s University Belfast.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
15/NI/0194
Date of REC Opinion
6 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion