DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals experience increased risks for health disparities and discrimination compared to non-LGBTQ individuals, yet there is limited research in southern populations. Purpose: The purpose of this scholarly project was to examine if LGBTQ individuals had increased health disparities compared to non-LGBTQ individuals in Davidson County, Tennessee (TN). Methods: A quasi-experimental design (N = 1,704) used the 2019 Nashville Community Health and Well-being Survey for analysis. Results: Findings suggested LGBTQ individuals had increased odds of not having health insurance (p = .009, adjusted odds: 6.84), poor mental health (p = .007, adjusted odds: .384), receiving mental health treatment (p = .017, adjusted odds: .377), and HIV high risk activities (p = .002, adjusted odds .182). The confidence to determine high quality from low quality health resources on the internet (p = .018) and using information from the Internet to make health decisions (p = .015) was lower among non-LGBTQ individuals. Non-LGBTQ individuals found people more caring and sympathetic to people with mental illness than LGBTQ individuals (p = .001). Conclusion: Additional research is warranted to explore health disparities, discrimination, and LGBTQ status among a larger sample of LGBTQ individuals in the South, with both urban and rural participants. Further research can provide valuable information on the current state of health disparities of LGBTQ individuals, which can then be applied to health outcome improvement efforts by researchers, public health officials, and healthcare providers, leading to an overall improvement in health and well-being.

Date

Spring 4-16-2021

First Advisor

Dr. Kathryn Dambrino

Scholarly Project Team Member

Dr. David Phillippi

Scholarly Project Team Member

Dr. Jamie Adam

Department

Nursing, School of

College

Health Sciences & Nursing, Gordon E. Inman College of

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree

Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Degree Level

Doctoral

Degree Grantor

Belmont University

Keywords

LGBTQ; Nashville; Tennessee; health disparities; mental health; physical health; lifestyle; health and well-being

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Nursing Commons

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