Variations in gender identity and sexual orientation of university students
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PROVIDER: S-EPMC10642543 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:IntroductionSexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults have higher smoking prevalence than their non-SGM peers. Less is known about differences in smoking characteristics within the SGM community.MethodsParticipants were SGM young adult smokers age 18-25 (N = 165, M age = 21.8) enrolled in a clinical trial of the Put It Out Project, a Facebook smoking cessation intervention for SGM young adults. Analyses tested differences between 1) sexual orientation groups, and 2) gender identity groups, on the following smoking characteristics: cigarettes/day, daily smoker (yes/no), social smoker (yes/no), years of smoking, number of close friends who smoke (out of 5), age of initiation, age began smoking regularly, time to first cigarette (30 min or less/>30 min), lifetime quit attempts, past-year quit attempts, and stage of change for quitting smoking (precontemplation, contemplation, preparation).ResultsParticipants were 56% bi/pansexual, 18% gay, 18% lesbian, 8% other (e.g., asexual, queer). The gender identity of the sample was 52% cisgender, 18% transgender, 30% gender non-binary. Lesbian women began smoking at an older age (M = 18.0, SD = 2.0) than "other" sexual orientation participants (M = 15.7, SD = 2.2), p < .05. Transgender participants smoked the most cigarettes per day (M = 11.3, SD = 6.7), followed by cisgender (M = 8.1, SD = 5.6), then non-binary (M = 5.7, SD = 3.5) participants (p < .001; pairwise comparisons p's < 0.05). No other constructs differed by sexual orientation or gender.ConclusionsSmoking characteristics were mostly similar across subgroups of young adult SGM smokers; however, transgender individuals were heavier smokers.
| S-EPMC6545125 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceAddressing health disparities in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities has been a significant policy focus for more than a decade. Ensuring access to safe, respectful primary health care from knowledgeable clinicians is crucial for reducing health inequalities.ObjectiveTo assess the engagement of primary care practices in LGBTQ+ affirming care activities and identify practice characteristics associated with increased engagement.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study used data from the National Survey of Healthcare Organizations and Systems II, which focused on primary care practices in the US and was administered between June 2022 through February 2023. Participants were primary care physicians and practice managers. Percentages were weighted for national representation. Data were analyzed from November 2023 to December 2024.ExposurePractice characteristics including practice size, ownership, federally qualified health center (FQHC) designation; percentage of patients enrolled in Medicare; percentage of patients enrolled in Medicaid; having accountable care organization (ACO) contracts for Medicare, Medicaid, or commercial insurance; rurality; census region; and LGBTQ+ Equality Score by state policy.Main outcomes and measuresSexual orientation- and gender identity- (SOGI) affirming activities, a composite variable reflecting activity specific to SOGI patients.ResultsAmong 1245 practices in the sample (38.4% response rate), 923 (77.40%) collected data on gender identity, 921 (75.62%) on sexual orientation, and 742 (65.83%) on patients' pronouns. Only 412 practices (34.42%) provided LGBTQ+ training for clinicians and 480 practices (39.20%) provided training for staff. Practices designated as FQHCs had 3.16 (95% CI, 4.60 to 19.73) percentage points higher probability of engaging in all SOGI-affirming activities) compared with non-FQHCs (P = .001). Practices with a Medicaid payer mix at least 50% had 3.28 (95% CI, 1.19 to 5.36) percentage points higher probability than practices with less than 50% Medicaid payer mix (P = .002), and participation in a Medicaid ACO was associated with 4.26 (95% CI, 0.78 to 7.73) percentage points increased probability compared with nonparticipants (P = .02). Each 1-unit increase in the state-level LGBTQ+ Equality Score was associated with 1.07 (95% CI, 0.28 to 1.85) percentage points higher probability of engaging in all SOGI-affirming activities (P = .02). High performance was negatively associated with practice rurality (average marginal effect, -16.00 [95% CI, -29.72 to -2.28]; P = .02), and rural practices were less likely to provide appropriate referrals (average marginal effect, -15.47 [95% CI, -29.22 to -1.72]; P = .03).Conclusions and relevanceThese findings suggest there is a need for federal and state mandates to require LGBTQ+ health care and competency training for health professionals and standardized data collection on SOGI, and these may be particularly important in rural regions. These measures are essential to evaluate practice performance and address health disparities effectively.
| S-EPMC11894487 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The biodevelopment of psychological sex differentiation is putatively reflected in several anthropometrics. We examined eight anthropometrics in 1404 Thai participants varying in sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity/expression: heterosexual men and women, gay men, lesbian women, bisexual women, sao praphet song (transgender birth-assigned males), toms (transgender birth-assigned females), and dees (birth-assigned females attracted to toms). Exploratory factor analyses indicated the biomarkers should be analyzed independently. Using regressions, in birth-assigned males, less male-typical second-to-fourth digit ratios in the left hand were associated with sexual orientation towards men regardless of gender identity/expression, whereas shorter height and long-bone growth in the arms and legs were more evident among sao praphet song-who are both sexually oriented towards men and markedly feminine. In birth-assigned females, there were no clear sexual orientation effects, but there were possible gender-related effects. Groups of individuals who tend to be more masculine (i.e., toms, lesbians) showed more male-typical patterns on weight and leg length than some groups of individuals who tend to be less masculine (i.e., heterosexual women, dees). Thus, it appears the various anthropometrics inform separate biodevelopmental processes that differentially relate to sexual orientation and gender identity/expression depending on the measure in question as well as birth-assigned sex.
| S-EPMC8445993 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveIn a national sample of college students, the current study aimed to: 1) examine differences in probable diagnoses of EDs (i.e., anorexia nervosa (AN), clinical/subthreshold bulimia nervosa (BN), or binge eating disorder (BED)) and weight and shape concerns by sexual orientation and gender identity, and 2) examine differences in ED chronicity and probable comorbid psychiatric diagnoses by sexual orientation and gender identity.MethodStudents across nine U.S. universities completed an online screener for DSM-5 clinical or subthreshold ED diagnoses, comorbid depression and anxiety disorders, and self-reported ED chronicity. Self-reported sexual orientation and gender identity were also collected. Tukey-corrected logistic and linear regressions examined differences in outcomes separately by sexual orientation and gender identity, adjusting for age, race, and ethnicity.ResultsA total of 8,531 students (24% sexually diverse (SD); 2.7% gender diverse (GD)) were studied. Students who identified as bisexual or other sexual orientation reported significantly greater odds of a probable ED diagnosis and greater elevations in weight and shape concerns compared to heterosexual students. Cisgender female students and GD students reported significantly greater odds of a probable ED diagnosis and greater elevations in weight and shape concerns compared to cisgender male students. Some SD students and GD students who met criteria for probable EDs were also more likely to report chronic ED symptoms and probable comorbid psychiatric diagnoses compared to heterosexual students and cisgender males, respectively.DiscussionSome SGD students may be at heightened risk for EDs, highlighting the need to identify mechanisms that contribute to disparities.
| S-EPMC8380708 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The systematic documentation of sexual orientation and gender identity data in electronic health records can improve patient-centered care and help to identify and address health disparities affecting sexual and gender minority populations. Although there are existing guidelines for sexual orientation and gender identity data among adult patients, there are not yet standard recommendations for pediatric patients. In this article, we discuss methods that pediatric primary care organizations can use to collect and document sexual orientation and gender identity information with children and adolescents in electronic health records. These recommendations take into consideration children's developmental stages, the role of caregivers, and the need to protect the privacy of this information. We also focus on the current limitations of electronic health records in capturing the nuances of sexual and gender minority identities and make suggestions for addressing these limitations.
| S-EPMC9196694 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Both transgenderism and homosexuality are facets of human biology, believed to derive from different sexual differentiation of the brain. The two phenomena are, however, fundamentally unalike, despite an increased prevalence of homosexuality among transgender populations. Transgenderism is associated with strong feelings of incongruence between one's physical sex and experienced gender, not reported in homosexual persons. The present study searches to find neural correlates for the respective conditions, using fractional anisotropy (FA) as a measure of white matter connections that has consistently shown sex differences. We compared FA in 40 transgender men (female birth-assigned sex) and 27 transgender women (male birth-assigned sex), with both homosexual (29 male, 30 female) and heterosexual (40 male, 40 female) cisgender controls. Previously reported sex differences in FA were reproduced in cis-heterosexual groups, but were not found among the cis-homosexual groups. After controlling for sexual orientation, the transgender groups showed sex-typical FA-values. The only exception was the right inferior fronto-occipital tract, connecting parietal and frontal brain areas that mediate own body perception. Our findings suggest that the neuroanatomical signature of transgenderism is related to brain areas processing the perception of self and body ownership, whereas homosexuality seems to be associated with less cerebral sexual differentiation.
| S-EPMC5738422 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC9483721 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeThe purpose of this analysis was to identify key difference-making conditions that distinguish oncology institutions that collect sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) data across a sample of American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) members.MethodsFrom October to November 2020, an anonymous 54-item web-based survey was distributed to ASCO members. Coincidence analysis was used to identify difference-making conditions for the collection of SOGI data.ResultsASCO members' responses to just three items consistently distinguished practices that reported collecting both SO and GI data (n = 25) from those who did not (n = 20): (1)."Do you ask your patients what pronouns they want you to use for them?"; (2) "Institutional leadership supports collecting SOGI data from patients"; and (3)"Does the electronic health record (EHR) at your institution have a specific section to collect information about patients' SOGI?" The positive model exhibited both reliability (consistency = 0.87, or 20/23) and explanatory breadth (coverage = 0.80, or 20/25). The negative model for SOGI data collection consisted of different responses to the same three items and likewise showed both reliability (consistency = 0.94, or 16/17) and explanatory breadth (coverage = 0.80, or 16/20).ConclusionsSpecific levels of leadership support, frequency of asking patients about pronouns, and the presence or absence of EHR record structure were difference-makers for collecting SOGI data in this sample. The study underscores the importance of leadership support, structured data fields, and attention to patient pronouns, which are aligned with the ASCO and National Institutes of Health calls to action.
| S-EPMC11883291 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceSexual minority (ie, people who self-identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and other nonheterosexual identities) and gender minority (ie, people who self-identify as transgender, nonbinary, or other noncisgender identities) adults report worse health outcomes compared with heterosexual and cisgender adults, respectively. Although social risk factors (SRFs; eg, housing instability) are associated with health outcomes, little is known about the prevalence of SRFs among sexual and gender minority adults.ObjectiveTo examine differences in the prevalence of SRFs by sexual orientation and gender identity among adults.Design, setting, and participantsThis cross-sectional study used Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data collected from January 2022 to February 2023 for adults aged 18 years or older residing in 22 US states.ExposureSelf-reported sexual orientation and gender identity.Main outcomes and measuresOutcome measures were dissatisfaction with life, lack of emotional support, social isolation, employment loss in the past 12 months, Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program participation in the past 12 months, insufficient food, inability to pay bills, inability to pay utilities, lack of transportation, and stress. Survey weights were applied. Multivariable linear regression models were used to measure the association between sexual orientation and gender identity for each outcome.ResultsThe study sample comparing outcomes by sexual orientation included 178 803 individuals: 84 881 men (48.5%; 92.9% heterosexual; 7.1% sexual minority) and 93 922 women (51.5%; 89.4% heterosexual; 10.6% sexual minority). The study sample comparing outcomes by gender identity included 182 690 adults (99.2% cisgender; 0.8% gender minority). Of sexual minority women, 58.1% reported at least 1 SRF compared with 36.5% of heterosexual women. Sexual minority women were significantly more likely to report social isolation (difference, 7.4 percentage points [PP]; 95% CI, 4.9-10.0 PP) and stress (difference, 12.2 PP; 95% CI, 9.8-14.7 PP) compared with heterosexual women. A greater proportion of sexual minority men (51.1%) reported at least 1 SRF than heterosexual men (34.0%); the largest magnitudes of inequity were in dissatisfaction with life (difference, 7.9 PP; 95% CI, 5.8-10.1 PP) and stress (difference, 6.7 PP; 95% CI, 4.5-8.9 PP). Of gender minority adults, 64.1% reported at least 1 SRF compared with cisgender adults (37.1%). Gender minority adults were significantly more likely to report social isolation (difference, 14.8 PP; 95% CI, 9.9-19.7 PP) and stress (difference, 17.0 PP; 95% CI, 11.9-22.1 PP).Conclusions and relevanceIn this cross-sectional study, sexual and gender minority adults were significantly more likely to report multiple SRFs. These findings suggest that policies and community-based systems to advance socioeconomic equity among sexual and gender minority adults are critical.
| S-EPMC11437382 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Sex is an important factor in mental health, and a non-binary view of how variation in sex and gender influence mental health represents a new research frontier that may yield new insights. The recent acceleration of research into sexual orientation, gender identity, and mental health has generally been conducted without sufficient understanding of the opinions of sexual and gender minorities (SGM) toward this research. We surveyed 768 individuals, with an enrichment of LGBTQ+ stakeholders, for their opinions regarding genetic research of SGM and mental health. We found that the key predictors of attitudes toward genetic research specifically on SGM are 1) general attitudes toward genetic and mental health research 2) tolerance of SGM and associated behaviors and 3) age of the participant. Non-heterosexual stakeholder status was significantly associated with increased willingness to participate in genetic research if a biological basis for gender identity were discovered. We also found that heterosexual, cisgender participants with a low tolerance for SGM indicated their SGM views would be positively updated if science showed a biological basis for their behaviors and identities. These findings represent an important first step in understanding and engaging the LGBTQ+ stakeholder community in the context of genetic research.
| S-EPMC7343141 | biostudies-literature