Heterogeneity in the Prevalence of Health Risk Factors among Justice- Involved Adolescents: The Intersectionality of Gender and Race/Ethnicity

Abstract

Research suggests justice-involved adolescents demonstrate higher prevalence rates of mental health, substance use, risky sexual behaviors, and sexually transmitted diseases infection than adolescents in the general population. Yet few studies have examined heterogeneity of these public health problems in justice-involved youths across both gender and race/ethnicity. Using latent class analysis to explore variation in public health problems across gender-race/ethnicity groups, the present study found the sample of n=1,620 justice-involved youth were best described as falling into one of two classes: High Risk vs. Low Risk. The prevalence rates of post-arrest secure detention, depression, marijuana use, sexually transmitted diseases infection, and risky sexual behavior varied within the two latent classes and across the gender-race/ethnicity groups. Findings emphasize the need for holistic and gender-race/ethnicity-specific interventions for delinquent youth.