Physical Health and Delinquency

Abstract

While physical health can impact a variety of outcomes, little research has looked at health and delinquency. Through a lens of GST, this study examines whether health moderates the relationships between strain and delinquency and drug use. Data from the 2011 NSDUH were analyzed; results indicated that, for certain strains, very good and excellent health predicted lower risks of committing some types of delinquency and poor/fair health predicted the higher risk. For youth in “no parent” homes in very good health and from some youth with chronic illness, however, the risk of delinquency increased. The overall results dictate the expansion of health programming and the complex findings suggest increased research on the nexus of health and delinquency.