Physical activity and sedentary behavior profiles among prisoners in an open prison: differences in psychological well-being?

Background: Incarcerated individuals face elevated risks for both physical and mental health issues. While structured physical activity programs have shown health benefits, little is known about how general patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior, including screen-based media use, unfold in everyday prison life. This study aimed to identify distinct behavioral profiles among prisoners and explore whether these groups differ in psychological well-being indicators.

Methods: A paper-pencil survey was conducted in a German open prison for young male offenders. Self-reported data were collected on daily physical activity at different intensity levels (vigorous, moderate, and walking as a proxy for light intensity), sedentary time (sitting, television), and psychological well-being indicators. A two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify behavioral subgroups. Group comparisons on psychological measures were conducted using analysis of variances and Welch tests with post-hoc comparisons.

Results: Three behavioral profiles emerged: (1) high media consumption with low-intensity activity, (2) highly active with low sedentary behavior, and (3) low activity with low media time. Clusters differed significantly in all physical and sedentary behavior indicators. The weekly metabolic equivalent of task minutes also varied significantly across the sample. On average, prisoners reported 5,410 metabolic equivalent of task minutes per week, substantially exceeding the minimum levels recommended by the World Health Organization. Only positive affect differed significantly across psychological variables, with higher scores in the highly active, low sedentary group compared to the high media, low-intensity group.

Conclusions: The findings demonstrate substantial variation in daily activity and media patterns among prisoners in open correctional settings. Despite clear behavioral differences, psychological well-being was comparable between groups. This finding suggests that movement and media routines should be considered when promoting prison health, yet they are not coupled with well-being differences under restrictive conditions. A cluster-based approach offers a useful basis for developing tailored interventions for different physical activity profiles among prisoners.