TY - JOUR
T1 - Joint consideration of distal and proximal predictors of premature mortality among serious juvenile offenders
AU - Chassin, Laurie
AU - Piquero, Alex R.
AU - Losoya, Sandra
AU - Mansion, Andre D.
AU - Schubert, Carol A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research was supported by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention ( 2000-MU-MU-0007 ), the National Institute of Justice ( 199-IJ-CX-0053 ), the National Institute of Drug Abuse ( R01 DA019697-01 ), the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation , the William T. Grant Foundation , the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation , The Centers for Disease Control , The William Penn Foundation , The Arizona Governor's Justice Commission , and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency . We are grateful for their support. The content of this paper, however, is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of these agencies.
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - Purpose: Juvenile offenders are at heightened risk of death in adolescence and young adulthood compared to adolescents in the general population. The current study extends previous research by testing the joint contributions of distal (historical and demographic characteristics) and proximal (closer to the time of the death) predictors of mortality. We also tested whether proximal variables were potential mediators of the effects of distal variables on mortality. Methods: Participants were 1,354 serious juvenile offenders, 45 (3.32%) of whom were deceased by the completion of the study. Data were collected through self-reports and official records. Results: Significant distal predictors of mortality were being African-American and having a history of substance use disorder. Proximal predictors that added significantly to prediction included gun carrying, gang membership, and substance use problems. Potential mediators of the effects of substance use disorder history were continuing substance use problems and gang membership. However, proximal variables could not explain the heightened risk for African-Americans. Conclusions: Gang membership, gun carrying, and substance use problems are risk factors for early mortality among juvenile offenders, but they do not explain the elevated risk for death among African-Americans. Thus, further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying risk for premature death among African-American adolescent offenders.
AB - Purpose: Juvenile offenders are at heightened risk of death in adolescence and young adulthood compared to adolescents in the general population. The current study extends previous research by testing the joint contributions of distal (historical and demographic characteristics) and proximal (closer to the time of the death) predictors of mortality. We also tested whether proximal variables were potential mediators of the effects of distal variables on mortality. Methods: Participants were 1,354 serious juvenile offenders, 45 (3.32%) of whom were deceased by the completion of the study. Data were collected through self-reports and official records. Results: Significant distal predictors of mortality were being African-American and having a history of substance use disorder. Proximal predictors that added significantly to prediction included gun carrying, gang membership, and substance use problems. Potential mediators of the effects of substance use disorder history were continuing substance use problems and gang membership. However, proximal variables could not explain the heightened risk for African-Americans. Conclusions: Gang membership, gun carrying, and substance use problems are risk factors for early mortality among juvenile offenders, but they do not explain the elevated risk for death among African-Americans. Thus, further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying risk for premature death among African-American adolescent offenders.
KW - Ethnic differences
KW - Juvenile criminal offending
KW - Predictors of mortality
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.11.018
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.11.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 23415755
AN - SCOPUS:84878111514
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 52
SP - 689
EP - 696
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 6
ER -