Bone mineral density in a sample of Mexican trans women

Abstract

Introduction: Trans people represent a vulnerable group, and their health conditions are poorly understood. A trans woman is a person who at birth has the biological sex of a man, but identifies and expresses herself as feminine. Objectives: to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and its associations with health habits and body composition in Mexican trans women (TW). Material and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a convenience sample of thirty trans women, residents of Toluca City, Mexico. Bone mineral density (BMD) was evaluated by densitometry (DXA) and body composition by electrical bio-impedance, using reference values for Mexican-American men. A questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics, physical activity, health-related habits, and use of gender-affirmative hormone therapy was applied. Results: The mean age of the participants was 28 years (SD = 6.9); 20% of the participants had low BMD. Low socioeconomic status was related to lower BMD in the hip (p = 0.043). The trans women with heavier bodies had a higher BMD in the spine (for weight, p= 0.004; for fat mass, p = 0.047; for fat-free mass, p = 0.004); furthermore, fat-free mass was associated with higher BMD in the hip (p = 0.050). No statistically significant relationships were found with other variables. Conclusions: Trans women had low BMD, which was associated with socioeconomic status and body composition. The findings suggest that trans women represent a vulnerable group and require the design of strategies oriented to health and nutrition problems.