New research from Fordham GSS Assistant Professor Kimberly Hudson, Ph.D., explores not just the disparities in disease and access for LGBTQ health, but the profound ways in which individuals within this community conceptualize health.
The article, titled “Medicine, access, spirit, and survival: An intersectional look at concepts of health among a diverse sample of LGBTQ adults,” was published in SSM: Qualitative Research in Health. Co-authors on the study are Jacqueline Cosse and Meghan Romanelli.
While existing research primarily focuses on disparities, the article states, this study takes a unique approach, centering on the narratives of 40 LGBTQ-identified adults. Through in-depth individual interviews, participants shared their perspectives on health that go beyond the conventional understanding of disease and risk behaviors.
The findings, analyzed through framework analysis, showed four primary themes that shape LGBTQ conceptualizations of health: (1) health as medicine; (2) health as mind-body-spirit; (3) health as survival; and (4) health as access. These themes not only provide a nuanced understanding of health within the LGBTQ community but also underscore the importance of considering personal, social, cultural, and political subjectivities.
