Publication year
2011
Citation Title
The Impact of Role Models on Health Outcomes for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth.
Journal Name
Journal of Adolescent Health
Journal Volume
50
Issue Number
2012
Page Numbers
353-357
DOI
10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.08.006
Summary
For youth having access to a good role model can largely influence their behaviors and health outcomes. This study involved 496 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth, observing the impact of role model accessibility on participants behaviors and health outcomes. Participants used a computer-assisted interview program to assess their demographics, sexual behaviors, substance use, and psychological health. The study concluded that having a role model did not have significant impact on participants' behaviors or well-being.
Key Findings
In the past year, 64% of participants reported binge drinking, 61% reported illicit drug use, 35% reported they met criteria for a mental health disorder, and 27% reported ever having a sexually transmitted infection diagnosis.
Participants with inaccessible role models (e.g., someone whom they could not continually speak with) were shown to have more psychological distress compared to those with no role model. However, having a role model did not have a significant impact on binge drinking, drug use, or STI diagnosis.
Sixty percent of participants reported having a role model and the majority of those with role models were younger (i.e., 16-19 year olds). However, of the participants with role models, 60% reported inaccessibility to their role model.
Transgender youth were found to be least likely to have a role model, with only 39% of identified female and 41% identified male of transgender youth reporting a role model. Black youth had the highest report of inaccessibility to their role model.
Implications for Military Professionals
Provide programs educating LGBT youth on the risks of substance abuse and risky sexual behaviors
Attend trainings about how to be inclusive and avoid discrimination of individuals from the LGBT community
Implications for Program Leaders
Develop a community outreach and mentorship program for LGBT youth
Host informational sessions for families and professionals who work with military families regarding important issues relevant to LGBT youth
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage the development of mentoring programs for LGBT youth in military families
Encourage Service members to attend educational workshops regarding mental health issues in the LGBT community
Methods
Participants were recruited from a variety of community-based sources that include LGBT-serving agencies, high schools and college list-server websites, distributed flyers, and participant referrals.
The study was presented and administered from Project Q in Chicago. Participants were recruited over a 12 month period between 2004-2005.
Information was gathered from participants using a confidential, computer-assisted interview procedure.
Participants
Participants included 496 LGBT youth, ages 16-24-years old, residing in the Chicago area.
The participants reported their ethnicity as 34% White, 28% Black, 26% Latino and 12% unanswered/unknown.
Participants identified themselves as mostly male (62%). In addition, most participants identified as gay and lesbian (70%).
Limitations
The study had minimal information regarding family involvement in the participants lives, limiting knowledge of possible family contributions toward risky behaviors.
Information regarding the sexual orientation and gender identity of the role models is absent from the study, leaving the study missing data on the potential impact of heterosexual verses homosexual role models.
Sixty percent of role models in the study were inaccessible persons (e.g., famous musicians, actors/entertainers, and political leaders), making it harder to determine the impact of present role models.
Information regarding level of education of both the participants and role models was absent, limiting knowledge on whether education level contributed to behaviors.
Avenues for Future Research
Conduct research on family involvement in at-risk LGBT youth
Examine the number of LGBT-identified role models participating in mentoring programs and their reasoning
Investigate whether education levels of at-risk LGBT youth are a factor in their behaviors
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
There is little research on the impact of role models on health outcomes for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) youth. This exploratory study describes the presence and availability of LGBT-affirming role models and examines the relationship between the accessibility of role models and health outcomes among a community-based sample of LGBT youth.
A convenience sample of 496 ethnically diverse, 16–24 year old LGBT youth was recruited to complete a computer-assisted interview, using standardized instruments validated with adolescents. The prevalence and characteristics of role models were described. Differences in subgroup distribution were assessed using Pearson X² test (p<.05). Differences in health outcomes for those with and without role models and the nature of those role models were determined using analysis of co-variance models, with post hoc Bonferroni tests to probe significant global findings. Sixty percent of the participants reported having a role model, with younger participants significantly more likely to report having a role model. A majority of the participants reported having inaccessible role models, especially among younger participants. The presence and accessibility of a role model did not have a significant relationship to binge drinking, drug use, or sexually transmitted infection diagnoses; however, participants with inaccessible role models showed increased psychological distress versus those with accessible or no role models. Inaccessible role models may not be sufficient for protecting youth from negative outcomes and formal mechanisms for connecting LGBT youth with caring adults who can serve as role models, such as mentoring programs, are critical.
A convenience sample of 496 ethnically diverse, 16–24 year old LGBT youth was recruited to complete a computer-assisted interview, using standardized instruments validated with adolescents. The prevalence and characteristics of role models were described. Differences in subgroup distribution were assessed using Pearson X² test (p<.05). Differences in health outcomes for those with and without role models and the nature of those role models were determined using analysis of co-variance models, with post hoc Bonferroni tests to probe significant global findings. Sixty percent of the participants reported having a role model, with younger participants significantly more likely to report having a role model. A majority of the participants reported having inaccessible role models, especially among younger participants. The presence and accessibility of a role model did not have a significant relationship to binge drinking, drug use, or sexually transmitted infection diagnoses; however, participants with inaccessible role models showed increased psychological distress versus those with accessible or no role models. Inaccessible role models may not be sufficient for protecting youth from negative outcomes and formal mechanisms for connecting LGBT youth with caring adults who can serve as role models, such as mentoring programs, are critical.
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