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Objective: To measure the impact of the peer-led training for chronic patients on their health status and behaviors., Design: Descriptive, transversal pretest and posttest quantitative approach., Placement: Andalusia., Participants: Nine hundred sixty-four patients with Diabetes, fibromyalgia and heart failure, trained at the School of Patients between 2013 and 2015., Interventions: Peer-training intervention for self-efficacy for chronic patients., Main Measurement: Self-reported health status, activity limitation, diet and physical activity. Statistical analysis included descriptive and bivariate statistics, correlation coefficient and net gains for paired variables., Results: Health status improved after the training, with less limitations and better diet and physical activity, with significant differences by sex, chronic illness, education level and marriage status. Improvement areas where identified for the training strategy, with special attention on the needs of more vulnerable groups (women, people with less education level)., Conclusions: The peer training had a positive impact, with differences depending on social profiles. 1-year and 2-years posttest measurements are needed and a qualitative study is required in order to better evaluate the peer-led strategy and to adapt it to participants' needs and expectations., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background: The study of the health condition of the populations under confinement in penitentiaries is based on the evidence of a more deteriorated health than the general population and a greater degree of social exclusion, which is associated with worse general health. This study is aimed at ascertaining how the inmates of an Andalusian penitentiary perceive their health condition and the use made thereby of the healthcare services, as well as the factors associated with those variables., Methods: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. The data was collected with a questionnaire. The sample size was 450 inmates, 90.4% of whom were males., Results: Seventy-two percent of those taking part in the study considered their health to be good or very good, 32.7% stating having seen the doctor once a month or more often. A total 43.1% of the participants stated having chronic illnesses, mainly HIV (19.1%) and hepatitis C (18.2%); 40.9% stating that they take medication. Worse health was perceived among the older inmates, those who have to serve longer than a five-year sentence, those who are repeat offenders and those not having pending trials. Those perceiving their health to have deteriorated over the past year have chronic illnesses and take medication. The regression model for the use of healthcare services shows that they are used to a greater extent by those who are serving a longer than a 5-year sentence, those who have been in prison for less than a year and those who take medication., Conclusions: The results show the importance of increasing the monitoring of possible addictive disorders upon entering prison and of the trend and treatment of chronic diseases.