Transgender, gender-diverse preteens less physically active than peers

(Press-News.org) Toronto, ON – Transgender and gender-diverse preteens are about 15% less physically active than their cisgender peers, new research finds.

Transgender 11-12 year-olds take, on average, 1,394 fewer steps per day compared to cisgender adolescents, a difference that equates to about 12% of the daily physical activity recommended for adolescents. The study was published in Annals of Epidemiology.

“Transgender adolescents may experience stigma and discrimination that discourage their participation in team sports or physical activity,” explains first author, Jason M. Nagata, MD, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. “Physical activity may instead be replaced by more time spent online, where they might find more accepting and supportive environments.”

Researchers assessed gender identity beyond transgender or cisgender. They asked the preteens how much they felt their gender identity aligned with their assigned sex, as well as the degree of satisfaction they felt with their assigned sex.

“Binary measures of gender don’t capture the complex and evolving understanding of gender that these young teens experience,” says co-author Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work. “Our study highlights the importance of considering nuanced gender identities when addressing physical activity disparities in young people.”

Researchers used data from 6,038 preteens in the nationwide Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, the largest long-term study of brain development in the United States. The children answered various questions assessing their gender identity, felt gender, gender non-contentedness, and expression of gender norms, while wearing a Fitbit device that tracked their daily steps.

“Given the lifetime benefits of physical activity, a concerted effort should be made to promote physical activity, exercise, and participation in sports among transgender and gender-diverse adolescents,” Nagata said.

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