Estado nutricional de minorias sexuais no Brasil: pesquisa nacional de saúde 2019

Abstract

Sexual minorities, such as lesbians, gays, and bisexuals, are historically more likely to have poorer health and quality of life due to exposure to prejudice and discrimination. The stress experienced by sexual minorities can directly impact biological functions and behaviors, contributing to the development of noncommunicable diseases and conditions, such as obesity. For this reason, this study aimed to analyze the nutritional status of the Brazilian population based on gender and sexual orientation disparities. To develop the study, microdata from the 2019 National Health Survey were used, considering socioeconomic, demographic, and anthropometric variables to estimate the prevalence (%) and 95% confidence intervals of the sociodemographic profile and nutritional status according to gender and sexual orientation. For this, information from modules A (household), C (general characteristics of residents), D (education characteristics of residents), F (household income), P (lifestyles), and W (anthropometry) was used. The results indicated a percentage of overweight among bisexual women of 26.25% (95% CI 18.67 - 33.83) and homosexuals of 35.30% (95% CI 27.11 - 43.48). Among bisexual and homosexual men, the results of nutritional status were that homosexuals presented 41.21% (95% CI 34.71 - 47.71) of the sample as overweight and bisexuals 35% (95% CI 23.44 - 46.56). The results obtained in this research show a higher proportion of overweight among homosexual men and women. Therefore, these results highlight the need for public policies and strategies that promote the health of the LGB population, taking into account their particularities and vulnerabilities, with the aim of reducing inequalities and improving quality of life.