Health-related Quality of Life Among Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth at a Rural Gender Wellness Clinic

Overview

Journal Qual Life Res

Specialties Pharmacology
Rehabilitation Medicine

Date 2020 Feb 1

PMID 32002786

Citations 10

Authors

Jane OBryan

Melissa Scribani

Kimberly Leon

Nancy Tallman

Christopher Wolf-Gould

Carolyn Wolf-Gould

Anne Gadomski

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: To address a critical gap in the existing Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) literature by quantifying and describing HRQOL among transgender and gender expansive (TG/GE) youth at a rural gender clinic and comparing the HRQOL of these youth to age-stratified United States (U.S.) population standards.

Methods: This cross-sectional study includes results of the baseline HRQOL assessment of 141 TG/GE patients enrolled in the Gender Wellness Center (GWC) Pediatric Patient Registry. HRQOL was assessed using the Child Health Questionnaire-Child Form 87 (CHQ-CF87; ages < 18) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36v2; ages 18-21). Mean subscale scores were compared to the most current U.S. population standards available.

Results: On all but one of the CHQ-CF87 subscales, TG/GE youth scored significantly lower than 2015-2016 U.S. general population youth and youth with two chronic conditions. On the SF-36v2, TG/GE youth scored significantly higher than 2009 U.S. standards on all physical health domains but lower on all but one of the mental health domains.

Conclusions: Cross-sectional HRQOL data from a registry of TG/GE youth indicate significantly poorer mental health measures as compared with the U.S. general population. Longitudinal assessments are needed to evaluate whether HRQOL improves with gender-affirming care. Future studies should aim to identify sociocultural factors at the intersection of rurality and health that contribute to diminished HRQOL among rural TG/GE youth.

Citing Articles

Patient-reported outcome measures for paediatric gender-affirming care: A systematic review.

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Gualberto Junior E, DallAlba A, Neves A, Amaral D, Soares A, Herkrath F Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2025; 33(spe1):e2024361.

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Two-Year Follow-Up Study of Health-Related Quality of Life Among Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth Receiving Gender-Affirming Care.

Gadomski A, Scribani M, Tallman N, OBryan J, Wolf-Gould C, Wolf-Gould C Transgend Health. 2024; 9(5):389-398.

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Bailey S, Newton N, Perry Y, Grummitt L, Goldbach J, Barrett E Qual Life Res. 2024; 33(6):1647-1662.

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"[He] can be supportive, but at times I feel he is ashamed of me": Understanding the relationship between parental support and quality of life amongst trans and gender diverse youth in the UK.

Barras A, Jones B Int J Transgend Health. 2024; 25(1):90-101.

PMID: 38328592 PMC: 10846468. DOI: 10.1080/26895269.2023.2286269.

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