Abstract
Introduction: In the population of transgender women (TrW), there is a high prevalence of alcohol consumption classified as harmful, in addition to frequent and regular intake of this product.
Objective: To analyze the factors associated with the frequent use of alcohol (daily or weekly use) among TrW.
Method: Cross-sectional study in which 127 TrW were recruited between 2014 and 2016 via Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) in Salvador/Bahia. Frequent use of alcohol (UAF) was defined based on the question "How often did you drink during the last 4 months? (Daily/Weekly or Monthly/Occasionally/Don't drink anymore)". Descriptive analysis was weighted by RDS weights, and the Odds Ratio (OR) was obtained by Logistic Regression models.
Results: The prevalence of UAF was 40.8% (95% confidence interval—95%CI: 25.0–56.5). Participants were mostly non-White or Black (72.2%) and had a high school education, with an incomplete degree (55%). Factors associated with UAF: being a smoker (adjusted OR [ORaj] 3.8 [95%CI 1.5–10.0]), unemployed (ORaj 5.3 [95%CI 1.3–21.2]), making use of industrial silicone (ORaj 2.6 [95%CI 1.03–6.7]).
Conclusion: The UAF was high among TrW, and, regardless of the amount, it can lead to various health problems. Given the vulnerability identified among the participants, it is urgent to invest in the prevention of cigarette, alcohol, and other drug consumption, in trans population.
Keywords:
transgender persons; alcohol drinking; health vulnerability