Does Race/Ethnicity Influence the Health Disparities within the LGBT Community? Analysis of Adults Aged 50 and Older
Mentor Information
Christi Nelson (Aging Studies)
Description
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health disparities have been well documented in previous research; however, limited research has been conducted on racial/ethnic differences in health among LGBT older adults. Past research suggests that LGBT adults from racial/ethnic minority groups may encounter more discrimination and stigma than white LGBT adults, resulting in poorer health. This study investigated differences in general health between racial/ethnic groups in LGBT adults aged 50 and older from the 2018 and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System annual surveys. The average ages were 64.2 years for the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) participants (n=3636) and 65.4 for the transgender participants (n=972). For self-rated general health, the result of the chi-square analysis indicated that there were significant differences between the racial/ethnic groups for both LGB and transgender participants, χ2(4, n=3630)=46.47, p < .001 and χ2(4, n=969)=19.03, p=.001, respectively. Specifically, for LGB participants, the results found that 21.5% of White participants, 29.4% of Black participants, 10.9% of Asian participants, 39.9% of Hispanic participants, and 30.5% of the Other Race participants rated their health as fair or poor. For transgender participants, the results found that 25.7% of White participants, 29.5% of Black participants, 15.8% of Asian participants, 43.9% of Hispanic participants, and 28.2% of the Other Race participants rated their health as fair or poor. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that cultural differences in racial/ethnic groups may play a role in the health of the LGBT community, making it an important factor to consider in LGBT research.
Does Race/Ethnicity Influence the Health Disparities within the LGBT Community? Analysis of Adults Aged 50 and Older
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health disparities have been well documented in previous research; however, limited research has been conducted on racial/ethnic differences in health among LGBT older adults. Past research suggests that LGBT adults from racial/ethnic minority groups may encounter more discrimination and stigma than white LGBT adults, resulting in poorer health. This study investigated differences in general health between racial/ethnic groups in LGBT adults aged 50 and older from the 2018 and 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System annual surveys. The average ages were 64.2 years for the lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) participants (n=3636) and 65.4 for the transgender participants (n=972). For self-rated general health, the result of the chi-square analysis indicated that there were significant differences between the racial/ethnic groups for both LGB and transgender participants, χ2(4, n=3630)=46.47, p < .001 and χ2(4, n=969)=19.03, p=.001, respectively. Specifically, for LGB participants, the results found that 21.5% of White participants, 29.4% of Black participants, 10.9% of Asian participants, 39.9% of Hispanic participants, and 30.5% of the Other Race participants rated their health as fair or poor. For transgender participants, the results found that 25.7% of White participants, 29.5% of Black participants, 15.8% of Asian participants, 43.9% of Hispanic participants, and 28.2% of the Other Race participants rated their health as fair or poor. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that cultural differences in racial/ethnic groups may play a role in the health of the LGBT community, making it an important factor to consider in LGBT research.
