Policies that promote the health and financial well-being of sexual and gender minority (SGM) groups are important. A recent study revealed that SGM [lesbians, gays, bisexual, transgender] adults in the US are more likely to experience social risk factors than heterosexual and cisgender adults.
Few national surveys gathered data last year regarding the frequency of social risk factors, personal-level negative experiences like food insecurity or unstable housing, and whether specific US communities are more susceptible to these situations than others.
A new study by a Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) researcher bridges this information gap by shedding light on how societal circumstances disproportionately influence sexual and gender minority communities.
The study, published in JAMA Health Forum (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Inequities in Self-Reported Social Risk Factors by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Go to source), discovered that SGM people were more likely to be exposed to many social risk factors than heterosexual and cisgender persons. The gender minority and cisgender adult groups had the highest degree of inequality on nearly all metrics.
Influence of Social Factors on Sexual and Gender Minority Health Post Covid
Since ample data also show that SGM adults experience poorer health outcomes and cost-related delays in care compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts, it is important to understand the nonclinical factors that may be contributing to these inequitable health outcomes.
Utilizing health data from 2022 and 2023, the study also provides new insight into the longer-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which took a disproportionate toll on SGM adults in terms of job loss, COVID exposure, isolation, and access to care, among other factors.
“There is substantial evidence that sexual and gender minority adults often report limited access to care and worse health outcomes compared to heterosexual and cisgender adults, respectively,” says study lead and corresponding author Dr. Kevin Nguyen, assistant professor of health law, BUSPH.
“We know less, however, about how often they report social risk factors—dissatisfaction with life, social isolation, employment loss, insufficient food, and stress—which are linked to poor health outcomes.”
For the study, Dr. Nguyen and colleagues from BUSPH, utilized data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an annual survey administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor US adults’ health status, health behaviors, and access to care. The study focused on health data for 178,803 US adults living in 22 states from January 2022 to February 2023.
Social Barriers Affecting Sexual and Gender Minority Adults
The team assessed a variety of social factors that can affect one’s health and well-being, including dissatisfaction with life, lack of emotional support, social isolation, job loss within the past year, stress, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation within the past year, insufficient amount of food, inability to pay bills or utilities, and lack of transportation.
About 58 percent of sexual minority women reported that they experienced at least one of these risk factors compared to about 37 percent of heterosexual women, and they were more likely to experience social isolation and stress.
About 51 percent of sexual minority men experienced at least one risk factor, compared to 34 percent of heterosexual men, and they were more likely to experience stress and feel dissatisfied with life. Of gender minority adults, about 64 percent experienced at least one risk factor compared to 37 percent of cisgender adults, and they were significantly more likely to report social isolation and stress.
These inequities in social risk factors are consequences of structural discrimination and stigmatization of marginalized populations, the researchers say.
Biased attitudes and discriminatory policies—such as the hundreds of anti-LGBTQ+ bills that target SGM populations across the country—often result in a loss of resources and support for the affected groups, which contributes to stress, isolation, and economic hardship.
“Public policies that codify equality by sexual orientation and gender identity may have long-term effects on financial security, socioeconomic mobility, and mental well-being for sexual and gender minorities,” Dr. Nguyen says.
“Collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data may also help us better measure, identify, and address disparities in social risk factors experienced by sexual and gender minority adults.”
Reference:
- Inequities in Self-Reported Social Risk Factors by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity- (https:jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2823975)
Source-Eurekalert
