A 2024 awarded grant under the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Health Data for Action program, managed by AcademyHealth.
This project is funded under the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s research program, “Health Data for Action (HD4A),” which makes valuable data from unique data owners available to researchers to answer important research questions. The goal of the study is to highlight various opportunities to develop tailored individual and population-level interventions specific to the cardiovascular health of sexual and gender minority (SGM) persons (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex [LGBTQI+]). Using the OCHIN Community Health Equity EHR data, the study seeks to identify a cohort of SGM adults within the OCHIN dataset and determine the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and incident CVD outcomes compared to age- and race/ethnicity-matched straight, cisgender peers. CVD remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and there is growing evidence that SGM adults experience worse cardiovascular health (CVH) relative to their cisgender heterosexual peers. The predominant model to explain SGM health disparities is the Minority Stress Theory (MST), which describes how, in addition to general life stressors, SGM people are exposed to multilevel minority stressors (i.e., intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural) that contribute to health disparities. Utilizing MST, the project team will conduct a retrospective observational analysis of the association of marginalized sexual and gender identities (i.e., SGM) with cardiovascular health risk factors and outcomes (i.e., hypertension, diabetes mellitus, myocardial infarction, stroke, etc.). Deliverables will include a project work plan and final narrative. The researchers will also produce paper(s) suitable for publication and present findings at national research meetings and to other stakeholder audiences as appropriate, including policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels and other key stakeholders, as part of the deliverables for this grant.
Grant #81861
Grantee Organization: Boston Medical Center Corporation
Grantee Period: 06/15/24 – 06/14/26
Carl Streed Jr is an Associate Professor in the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine. Read Bio