The magnitude of depressive disorder and associated factors among prisoners in Ethiopia; implications for nursing care: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Different studies with varying magnitudes were conducted on depression among inmates and associated factors in Ethiopia. However, there is no consistent finding of the magnitude and factors associated with it. Thus, this systematic review and meta-analysis was intended to draw the pooled magnitude of depressive disorder and associated factors in Ethiopia. Methods A number of databases such as Pub Med, Medline, HINARI, Cochrane library, the Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched for studies reported on depression among inmates in Ethiopia. Stata/SE V14 was used for statistical analysis, and publication bias was assessed using the funnel plot and Egger’s test (P = 0.063). Result A total of 13 full-text articles were found, and 7 full articles were used for the analysis. The pooled prevalence of depression among inmates in Ethiopia was 44.45% (95%CI: 40.28, 48.61). The factors that were associated with depression among inmates were the age (AOR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.59–0.82), presence of chronic diseases (AOR = 1.70, 95%CI 1.42–2.05), and history of Khat chewing (AOR = 1.57, 95%CI 1.32–1.86), smoking (AOR = 1.52, 95%CI 1.10–2.10), suicidal attempt (AOR = 1.66, 95%CI 1.43–1.93), and not having paid job in the prison (AOR = 0.39, 95%CI 0.20–0.74). Conclusion There is a high prevalence of depression among prisoners in Ethiopia. Many of the modifiable associated factors should be a target for intervention by stakeholders involved in prison healthcare service. This service should be strengthened, with a focus on the identification of high-risk inmates towards more effective prevention of depression.