The association between criminal legal attitudes and healthcare utilization among adolescents: differences by gender and race

This study explores the association between healthcare utilization and negative criminal legal attitudes among adolescents, stratified by gender and race. Using data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, logistic regressions examined the relationship between legal cynicism, police legitimacy, healthcare utilization, and sociodemographics. Only among non-white girls were negative criminal legal attitudes significantly associated with a reduced likelihood of healthcare utilization. This finding supports the concept of system avoidance, highlighting the impact of criminal legal system attitudes on other social institutions. The study emphasizes the need for further research to explore this complex relationship.

Chelsea R. Miller, Kaylee B. Crockett, Karen L. Cropsey, Jamie M. Gajos