Attitudes of nurses, paramedics, and medics towards security prisoners: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Security prisoners in Israel are those imprisoned due to offenses involving harming state security or from nationalistic motivations. On the one hand, they are accused of a serious criminal offense that harmed state security, while on the other hand they have a right to healthcare like any human being. According to the Theory of Planned Behavior, an attitude is one of three components that predict a behavior intention. The study aims to evaluate the attitudes of nurses, paramedics, and medics toward security prisoners, and to identify factors that could be related to their attitudes. Methods A cross-sectional study, conducted using a convenience sample. Attitudes toward security prisoners were measured using the Attitudes Towards Prisoners (ATP) questionnaire. The study included 281 participants. The results show that the nationality of staff members (Jewish, Muslim, or Christian) did not influence their attitudes toward security prisoners (p > 0.05). Results Staff members who had treated a security prisoner showed a more positive attitude compared with those who had never treated a security prisoner (p