Does income moderate the discrimination-health relation among transmen and gender non-conforming assigned females at birth?

Discrimination is a contributor to health inequities. LGBT individuals experience poorer health outcomes than their heterosexual and cisgender peers; this may be due, in part, to their stigmatized identities, and may be exacerbated by low-income status. Transgender and gender non-conforming individuals, in particular, encounter discrimination due to their gender identity and gender expression. However, the majority of research on trans health has been conducted with transwomen, and there is a paucity of literature on the experiences of transmen.

This study assessed the moderating role of income on the relation between discrimination and three health risk behaviors (drug use, smoking, and suicide attempts) among transmen and gender non-conforming assigned females at birth, using data from the National Transgender Discrimination Survey (N=2373). Discrimination was operationalized as an index of events experienced due to transgender-related bias. Separate logistic regression analyses were run, controlling for age, highest level of education attained, and race/ethnicity. 

For all three health outcomes, a similar pattern emerged wherein experiencing trans-related discrimination and lower income status each independently increased the odds for drug use, smoking, and suicide attempts. However, the discrimination x income interaction was not significant in any model, indicating no moderating effect of income on the discrimination-health relation.

Discrimination and income each contribute independently to health risk behavior, although the relation between discrimination and health did not differ by income group. Given the scant attention on examining interaction effects between discrimination and income, further research is greatly needed to understand how they may explain disparities present among transmen.