NCJ Number
55675
Journal
Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry Volume: 4 Issue: 3 Dated: (1975) Pages: 212-222
Date Published
1975
Length
11 pages
Annotation
TWENTY-FIVE INMATES OF A COUNTY JAIL PARTICIPATED IN AN 8-WEEK TREATMENT AND MIXED TREATMENT AND PLACEBO STUDY OF THE REHABILITATIVE EFFECTS OF DIET EDUCATION, DIET CHANGE AND VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTATION.
Abstract
THE PROGRAM INCLUDED DIET EDUCATION AIMED AT BALANCING BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS, THERAPEUTIC POTENCY VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS, AND A HIGH-PROTEIN EVENING SNACK. BOTH THE TREATMENT AND THE PLACEBO GROUPS WERE EXPOSED TO NUTRITIONAL EDUCATION AND DIET CHANGES, WHILE ONLY THE 21 TREATMENT INMATES RECEIVED VITAMINS. IN ALL, 7 OF THE 25 RECEIVED PLACEBOS, BECAUSE 3 OF THE TREATMENT INMATES WERE GIVEN VITAMINS, TESTED, SWITCHED TO PLACEBOS, AND RETESTED. SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PREVIOUSLY IMPAIRED PERCEPTION WAS NOTED AS MEASURED BY THE EXPERIMENTAL WORLD INVENTORY. SELF-REPORT QUESTIONNAIRES INDICATED REDUCED SUGAR INTAKE. IMPROVEMENT IN MORALE, MOOD, AND SELF-MOTIVATED BEHAVIOR AMONG INMATES WAS INDICATED IN SELF-REPORTS AND STAFF OBSERVATIONS. THE PLACEBO GROUP'S IMPROVEMENT WAS ONLY MARGINALLY LESS SIGNIFICANT. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT DIET CHANGES AND DIET EDUCATION BE IMPLEMENTED IN JAILS AND PRISONS TO TREAT HYPOGLYCEMIA AND THAT A LARGE-SCALE STUDY BE UNDERTAKEN OF THE EFFECT OF VITAMINS ON PERCEPTION AND BEHAVIOR. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED, ALONG WITH THE INMATE QUESTIONNAIRE. (KBL)