Journal article
Mental and Physical Health Disparities Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents Based on Disability Status
LGBT health, Vol.10(2), pp.130-137
03/02/2023
DOI: 10.1089/lgbt.2022.0032
PMCID: PMC9986008
PMID: 36301253
Abstract
Purpose: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth and youth with disabilities both experience health disparities. Little data exist on whether SGM youth with disabilities have worse health outcomes compared with SGM youth without disabilities. This study aimed to examine differences in health behaviors and outcomes among a sample of SGM youth by different types of disabilities.
Methods: Secondary analyses were conducted with a subset (N = 9418) of the LGBTQ National Teen Survey, a comprehensive survey of risk and protective factors and health outcomes of SGM youth across the United States collected in 2017. Multiple types of disabilities (physical, cognitive, or psychiatric) and mental, behavioral, and physical health outcomes were self-reported.
Results: Of the sample, 18.3% reported a disability. Significant findings included higher odds of exercise avoidance, greater depressive symptoms and sleep concerns, and lower self-esteem and overall health ratings among SGM youth who reported any form of disability compared with SGM youth who reported no disability. Youth with cognitive disabilities had lower odds of alcohol use than youth with no disability. Youth with psychiatric disabilities had higher odds of cannabis and cigarette use, and lower physical activity than youth with no disability. Youth with either psychiatric or physical disabilities reported higher body mass index than youth with no disability.
Conclusion: SGM youth with disabilities experience greater health disparities than SGM youth with no reported disabilities. Results provide groundwork evidence about the impact of disability status on SGM adolescents. Disability-inclusive or -specific frameworks are needed for future interventions and studies of SGM youth.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Mental and Physical Health Disparities Among Sexual and Gender Minority Adolescents Based on Disability Status
- Creators
- Michael S Argenyi - Wake Forest UniversityEthan H Mereish - American UniversityRyan J Watson - University of Connecticut
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- LGBT health, Vol.10(2), pp.130-137
- DOI
- 10.1089/lgbt.2022.0032
- PMID
- 36301253
- PMCID
- PMC9986008
- ISSN
- 2325-8292
- eISSN
- 2325-8306
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 10/26/2022
- Date published
- 03/02/2023
- Academic Unit
- Psychiatry
- Record Identifier
- 9984306927202771
Metrics
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