Study examines how LGBT communities view health risks
Dr. Joseph Lee, associate professor of health education and promotion in the ECU College of Health and Human Performance, co-authored a study examining how LGBT communities viewed health risks. (Photos by Rhett Butler)
While a majority of LGBT members rate HIV and AIDS as the most serious health issues today, researchers at East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill say that cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases and cancer need community awareness as well.
Dr. Joseph Lee, associate professor of health education and promotion in the ECU College of Health and Human Performance, co-authored a study with colleagues in the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health examining how LGBT communities viewed health risks.
The results, published in February by Health Promotion Practice, appear in a collection of the journal’s articles that are free to download until June 30 in celebration of Pride Month.
Participants, who were self-identified members of LGBT communities, were asked in a 2017 national phone survey what they believed was the most serious health problem facing LGBT people. They also were asked to rate the seriousness of alcohol abuse, hate crimes, HIV/AIDS, smoking and suicide.
Study participants rated HIV/AIDs, sexual risk and suicide as more serious compared to health issues that might develop later in life as a result of smoking or alcohol use. More than 25% of those surveyed identified HIV/AIDS as the most serious health problem, and more than 17% of respondents similarly identified sexually transmitted infections as most serious. A lack of access to quality health care also was a frequently cited problem.
“Addressing inequities in HIV/AIDS for sexual and gender minority (SGM) men and gender minority women remains an important area of work, given, for example, the striking inequities in HIV prevalence by race and gender identity among SGM populations,” the team stated in the study. “HIV/AIDS has historically been viewed as a core issue of SGM health; however, improvements in care (e.g., antiretroviral therapy) are resulting in chronic diseases replacing HIV/AIDS as leading causes of death for people living with HIV/AIDS.”
About 1 in 5 LGBT adults smoke, compared to 1 in 7 cisgender and heterosexual adults. As a result, tobacco-related diseases such as cancer, pulmonary disease and cardiovascular issues are impacting LGBT communities.
The research raised concerns that the focus on HIV/AIDS, while important, may hinder efforts to address other prominent health issues within LGBT communities. Diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions that can be caused by smoking or using harmful substances also pose a significant health risk and contribute to mortality rates among LGBT people. It is important for public health leaders to advocate for media campaigns and health interventions addressing a broader range of health issues within LGBT communities, especially as related to chronic disease, according to the authors of the study.
About 1 in 5 LGBT adults smoke, compared to 1 in 7 cisgender and heterosexual adults. As a result, tobacco-related diseases such as cancer, pulmonary disease and cardiovascular issues are impacting LGBT communities.
“These results can help LGBT leaders build support for changes that promote health,” Lee said. “Everyone deserves a fair chance at a healthy life, and we all have a responsibility to work for healthier communities.”
In addition to Lee, the study was conducted by Marcella Boynton, adjunct assistant professor of health behavior and assistant professor in the UNC School of Medicine; Jeffrey Gilbert, 2019 UNC Master of Public Health alumnus in health behavior; and Bonnie Shook-Sa, UNC research associate in biostatistics.
Lee serves as an affiliated faculty member in the Center for Health Disparities in the ECU Brody School of Medicine. He also is an associate member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program in the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The research reported here was supported by grant No. P50CA180907 from the National Cancer Institute and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products (UNC’s Kurt Ribisl, principal investigator).
The UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team contributed information for this story.