Perspectives of Black and Latinx Youth on Masculinity and Health During Community Reentry After Incarceration

Young Black and Latinx justice-involved males in the United States have unique, intersecting, and disproportionate health needs that often go unmet during reentry, the six-month period when youth return home after incarceration. Masculinity has been shown to affect various health outcomes among Black and Latinx males, who are disproportionately represented in the U.S. juvenile justice system. To better understand young Black and Latinx males' perspectives on how masculinity may impact health and health-related behaviors during reentry, we analyzed 32 longitudinal interviews from 23 participants who identified as Latinx (n=20) or Black (n=3) males discussing their health and healthcare utilization during reentry. Using deductive thematic analysis, we identified two themes on masculinity and health during reentry: 1) young Black and Latinx males undergoing reentry endorse masculine attitudes; and 2) young Black and Latinx males undergoing reentry engage in masculine behaviors that impact health. Participants linked masculine attitudes to masculine behaviors that both promote and impede health, suggesting potential opportunity to leverage health-promoting aspects of masculinity while addressing health-detracting ones to facilitate health for young Black and Latinx males.