"When you feel more at home, you want to take better care of that home": Key Informant Perspectives on Nutrition Priorities, Behaviors, and Health Promotion for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth - An Interpretive Descriptive Qualitative Research Study.
Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) youth and young adults (YYA) face unique nutrition challenges related to gender affirming hormone therapy, mental health concerns, and gender-based stigma. Limited research exists on their nutrition-related health priorities, behaviors, and pathways for health promotion.
Explore the perceived nutrition-related health priorities and behaviors of TGD YYA and identify health promotion strategies from the key informant perspective.
A qualitative study using interpretive description methodology through in-depth, semi-structured interviews.
Ten key informants, including healthcare providers, youth-serving professionals, and caregivers from two Midwestern U.S. cities, were purposively selected for their expertise with TGD YYA. Interviews were conducted between October 2022 and March 2023.
Identification of nutrition-related priorities, behaviors, and health promotion strategies for TGD YYA as perceived by key informants.
Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis in NVivo 12.
Four themes were identified: 1) Social and Psychological Barriers to Food and Nutrition Security for TGD YYA; 2) Social and Psychological Impacts on Nutrition Attitudes and Behaviors; 3) Gender-Affirming Nutrition Attitudes and Behaviors; 4) "No, this is wrong and like, we need to fix it": Health Promotion Strategies for TGD YYA.
TGD YYA face persistent food insecurity and navigate eating behaviors shaped by gender norms, healthcare bias, and the pursuit of gender-congruent appearance. While some eating behaviors (e.g., restrictive eating) reflect disordered eating, others, like macro loading and supplement use, are adaptive strategies to support gender affirmation and optimize GAHT outcomes. These findings underscore the need for gender-affirming, weight-inclusive nutrition care that addresses both structural barriers and the diverse motivations behind TGD YYA's eating behaviors.
Explore the perceived nutrition-related health priorities and behaviors of TGD YYA and identify health promotion strategies from the key informant perspective.
A qualitative study using interpretive description methodology through in-depth, semi-structured interviews.
Ten key informants, including healthcare providers, youth-serving professionals, and caregivers from two Midwestern U.S. cities, were purposively selected for their expertise with TGD YYA. Interviews were conducted between October 2022 and March 2023.
Identification of nutrition-related priorities, behaviors, and health promotion strategies for TGD YYA as perceived by key informants.
Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis in NVivo 12.
Four themes were identified: 1) Social and Psychological Barriers to Food and Nutrition Security for TGD YYA; 2) Social and Psychological Impacts on Nutrition Attitudes and Behaviors; 3) Gender-Affirming Nutrition Attitudes and Behaviors; 4) "No, this is wrong and like, we need to fix it": Health Promotion Strategies for TGD YYA.
TGD YYA face persistent food insecurity and navigate eating behaviors shaped by gender norms, healthcare bias, and the pursuit of gender-congruent appearance. While some eating behaviors (e.g., restrictive eating) reflect disordered eating, others, like macro loading and supplement use, are adaptive strategies to support gender affirmation and optimize GAHT outcomes. These findings underscore the need for gender-affirming, weight-inclusive nutrition care that addresses both structural barriers and the diverse motivations behind TGD YYA's eating behaviors.