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Table 1 Descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses for socio-demographics, incarceration and offense variables, other prescribed medications, and punishable behaviors

From: Relationship between benzodiazepine prescription, aggressive behavior, and behavioral disinhibition: a retrospective study in a Swiss prison

Variables

Whole sample (n = 1379)

BZD prescription

Yes (n = 293)

No (n = 1,086)

Socio-demographics

 Agea

33.1 (10.4)

35.4 (9.8)

32.5 (10.5)

 Region of originb,c

  Asia

1.2 (17)

0.7 (2)

1.4 (15)

  Eastern Europe/Balkans

11.6 (160)

8.9 (26)

12.3 (134)

  Eastern, Central, and South Africa

4.1 (57)

1.4 (4)

4.9 (53)

  Latin America

1.7 (23)

1.7 (5)

1.7 (18)

  Middle East

6.7 (93)

4.8 (14)

7.3 (79)

  North Africa

19.2 (265)

21.8 (64)

18.5 (201)

  Switzerland

24.4 (337)

37.2 (109)

21.0 (228)

  Western Africa

12.0 (166)

3.1 (9)

14.5 (157)

  Western Europe

7.0 (96)

6.8 (20)

7.0 (76)

  Unknown/unverified

12.0 (165)

13.7 (40)

11.5 (125)

Prison variables

 Length of incarceration (days)a

125.1 (177.4)

157.3 (171.6)

116.4 (178.1)

 Type of offensec

  Violenceb

13.1 (180)

15.4 (45)

12.4 (135)

  Propertyb

38.7 (533)

54.6 (160)

34.4 (373)

  Substanceb

19.4 (267)

25.3 (74)

17.8 (193)

  Otherb

60.0 (827)

51.2 (150)

62.3 (677)

Medical information

 Benzodiazepine

  Prescriptionb

21.3 (293)

  Duration (no. of days)a,d

91.5 (7.0)

  Mean daily dosage (mg/Diazepam equivalent)a,d

24.0 (25.0)

 Prescription of other psychotropic medications

  Anyb

25.0 (345)

68.3 (200)

13.4 (145)

  Antidepressantb

11.8 (163)

34.5 (101)

5.7 (62)

  Antipsychoticb

15.7 (217)

43.3 (127)

8.3 (90)

  Methylphenidateb

2.9 (27)

7.2 (21)

0.6 (6)

  Mood stabilizersb

1.5 (21)

3.8 (11)

0.9 (10)

  Opioid antagonistb

4.9 (68)

16.0 (47)

1.9 (21)

  Otherb

0.9 (13)

3.1 (9)

0.4 (4)

 Any medication for somatic diseaseb

32.4 (447)

56.3 (165)

26.0 (282)

Punishable behaviors (outcomes)

 Physical and verbal aggressionb

5.9 (81)

8.5 (25)

5.2 (56)

 Disinhibited but not directly aggressive behaviorb

4.7 (65)

7.9 (23)

3.9 (42)

 Property damage or theftb

2.8 (38)

3.8 (11)

2.5 (27)

 Substance-related offensesb

11.7 (161)

19.1 (56)

9.7 (105)

 Rule transgressionb

23.4 (323)

31.7 (93)

21.2 (230)

  1. aMeans and standard deviations
  2. bPercentages and n
  3. cThere were 165 missing values for the region of origin (12.0%) and 40 missing values for type of offenses (2.9%)
  4. dReported for participants with BZD prescription (n = 290)