Comparison of Transgender and Gender Diverse Demographics in United States Transgender Survey and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Abstract

Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) individuals experience mental and physical health disparities but remain a difficult population to research. TGD scholars encounter barriers to accessing representative probability-based data to investigate prevalence of health issues experienced by TGD individuals. As population-based surveys begin to ask gender identity questions that identify TGD respondents, questions remain regarding representativeness of the actual TGD population. Community-based surveys continue to be the primary way to capture TGD-specific experiences and stressors, but without knowing true prevalence rates, there are challenges in interpreting generalizability. The present research compares demographics and health characteristics found in Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data from 2015 to 2018 and 2015 United States Transgender Survey (USTS) data, two commonly used probability and community-based datasets. As expected, BRFSS respondents were less likely to see a physician in the last year or be tested for HIV than USTS respondents. USTS respondents were less likely to identify as straight/heterosexual and more likely to report heavy drinking. While representative data of the TGD population continues to be a barrier, comparing characteristics across samples may help contextualize sample limitations.