Health profile of a convenience sample of LGBTT communities: Findings from the Community-base groups LGBTT health initiative survey of Puerto Rico from November 2009 to November 2010

BACKGROUND: Several studies have shown that lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and transexual (LGBTT) persons have higher smoking prevalence and health disparities than heterosexuals. However, few studies have shown data regarding general health and tobacco use issues in the LGBTT Latino/Hispanic population that reside in the U.S. territory, of Puerto Rico (PR). METHODS: We adapted and translated to Spanish the Rainbow Health Initiative – 2009 Survey from Minnesota to create the Health-Tobacco LGBTT Community Survey in Puerto Rico. A group of local tobacco control advocates and community-base health groups, supported by the CDC-funded National Latino/a Tobacco Control Network, visited local LGBTT conferences, pride events and LGBTT other activities to distribute the survey. RESULTS: We collected data (n=478) from 11/09 to 11/10. This convenience sample was the first to provide a health and tobacco profile of the LGBTT communities in PR. The survey showed a difference from the general population and the LGBTT communities in the US in socio-demographic descriptive data, general health, tobacco use (39.7%) and some other health risk factors like alcohol consumption (64.8%). More than half report had been diagnosis with depression and anxiety (67.2%) and report having bad experiences with the health system, among others. CONCLUSION: It is essential that community-base groups collect local data on their vulnerable communities, like the LGBTT, understand what health concerns affect them, how large corporations, like the tobacco industry, market directly to them, and which actions can be taken to confront local community health issues, which are ignored in big bureaucratic processes.