Prevalence and Associations of Current Cigarette Smoking Among Latinx Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults Living in...

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD; e.g., non-binary) adults report higher cigarette smoking rates than cisgender adults. However, little is known about the prevalence and associations of current cigarette smoking among Latinx Transgender and Gender Diverse (LTGD) adults. This study examines the associations between current cigarette smoking and self-reported demographic and health characteristics (e.g., mental health diagnoses) among LTGD adults living in Puerto Rico (PR) and Florida (FL).

Using secondary data from a cross-sectional exploratory study (n = 133), binary logistic regression was conducted to evaluate associations with current cigarette smoking status (smoking vs non-smoking). The Benjamini-Hochberg procedure was applied to control the false discovery rate (FDR) using R.

The mean age was 34.4 years (SD = 10.28). Almost half of participants self-identified as trans-women (45.8%), 33.6% as trans-men, and 21.1% as non-binary. More than half were born in Puerto Rico (53.5%), resided in Florida (53.5%), had an associate degree or higher (64.8%), and reported a monthly income of $0-$1000 (47.7%). Thirty-eight participants (28.6%) reported current smoking, with a median of 6 cigarettes daily (IQR: 2-10). Significant associations were observed between current smoking, country of birth, and lifetime diagnosis of depression (P < 0.05).

Findings highlight a high prevalence of cigarette smoking among LTGD adults and confirm associations with demographic factors and mental health. These results underscore the need to prioritize culturally adapted smoking cessation interventions for LTGD adults.