D4. Oral Session: Supporting LGBTQ+ Health: Belonging, Family Support, and Mentorship for a Smoke-Free Future
D4.01 - Oral: Exploring Belonging and Health Implications for LGBT+ communities in Utah
Thursday, April 17, 2025
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM PST
Location: Gallerie I, 1st Floor
Earn 1.0 Entry CECH
Area of Responsibility: Area IV: Evaluation and Research Subcompetencies: 1.3.2 Determine the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, skills, and behaviors that impact the health and health literacy of the priority population(s)., 1.3.3 Identify the social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors that impact the health and/or learning processes of the priority p Research or Practice: Research
Undergraduate Student Brigham Young University Provo, Utah, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Identify the four domains of the Integrative Framework for Belonging, and which are most highly associated with a sense of belonging.
Identify whether a sense of belonging is associated with the following health outcomes: mental health, addictive behaviors, and experience of domestic violence.
Identify which of the four domains of the Integrative Framework for Belonging is most associated with the following health outcomes: mental health, addictive behaviors, and experience of domestic violence.
Brief Abstract Summary: During this presentation, the attendees will explore 4 key components of belonging and their impacts on LGBT+ individuals. Additionally, they will learn how belonging impacts health outcomes related to mental health, addiction, and domestic violence. Health educators working with LGBT+ individuals can promote belonging and improve health outcomes by fostering opportunities for social connection, enhancing social control skills, and addressing negative perceptions.
Detailed abstract description:
Introduction: LGBT+ individuals face unique health risks due to minority stress. Minority stress refers to the unique stressors, such as those stemming from discrimination, stigmatization, and social prejudice, which are faced by individuals from marginalized groups, including the LGBT+ community.The Integrative Framework for Belonging suggests four components are necessary for measuring belonging: competencies (social sensitivity, social control, and emotional control), opportunities , perceptions (positive and negative), and motivations. The purpose of this study was to examine what components of the Integrative Framework for Belonging are most strongly associated with a sense of belonging and whether a sense of belonging is associated with improved health outcomes (mental health, experience of domestic violence, substance addiction, and behavioral addiction) among LGBT+ individuals in Utah.
Methods: An online survey of LGBT+ adults living in Utah was administered through Qualtrics. Participants were identified through 18 LGBT+ serving organizations who promoted the survey electronically. The survey included demographic questions and scales relating to the four components of the conceptual framework, a general sense of belonging, and health outcomes: mental health, addictive behaviors, and domestic violence experience. Linear regression analysis was conducted for a sense of belonging and each health outcomes using Stata 18.
Results: A total of 183 individuals completed the survey. 20.58% of respondents were male, 56.68% female, and 17.69% were non-binary. Most of the sample was white (85.92%). 70.76% of our sample was employed either full or part-time. 51.26% of our sample had no religious affiliation and 35.02% were affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Opportunities, social control, positive perceptions, and negative perceptions each significantly increased a sense of belonging. A sense of belonging significantly increased mental health outcomes and reduced behavioral addiction. Negative perceptions were associated with a reduction in many health outcomes: mental health, experience of domestic violence, and use of psychoactive substances.
Conclusion: This research suggests that a sense of belonging impacts mental health and engagement behavioral addiction for LGBT+ individuals in Utah. Of the four tenets of belonging measured, opportunities, social control and perceptions had the greatest significance on feelings of belonging. Health educators working with LGBT+ individuals can promote belonging and improve health outcomes by fostering opportunities for social connection, enhancing social control skills, and addressing negative perceptions.
