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Abstract: 

The Burden of Physical Inactivity With more than two million inmates in U.S. prisons and jails, a 600% increase since 1970 (Hammett, 2000), it becomes increasingly important for correctional health care policies to focus on disease prevention and health promotion strategies to arrest the burden of chronic disease in these settings. Chronic disease accounts for nearly 75% of all annual deaths in the United States. Research suggests that a sedentary lifestyle is a primary factor in at least 200,000 of these deaths (Powell, 1994), which is equivalent to about 10% of the total number of deaths, and about 25% of all chronic disease-related deaths.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, blood pressure, depression, anxiety, smoking, diet

Affiliations:  1: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.