Annual UTHealth PRIDE Survey Provides Critical Information on Tobacco Use among the LGBTQ+ Populations
Published: June 21, 2023
Since 2014, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health researchers have conducted the annual UTHealth PRIDE Survey to assess tobacco use and nicotine addiction among LGBTQ+ identified individuals. Originally centered on Houston residents, the research initiative has been extended to encompass the entire state of Texas since the COVID Pandemic. This survey serves as a valuable resource for the development and evaluation of tobacco prevention and control interventions for sexual and gender minority groups.
“Pride month is a great opportunity for us to assess the LGBTQ+ population’s health behaviors,” said Irene Tami-Maury, DMD, DrPH, MSc, Assistant Professor in Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences. “The information we collect through this survey allows us to tailor our healthcare programs to meet the community’s specific needs.”
Tobacco use and nicotine addiction rates among sexual and gender minority groups are significantly higher than among the general population due to a variety of factors including stress, internalized homophobia, normalization of tobacco use behavior, and targeted advertising by the tobacco industry. This results in an increased risk of cancer, stroke, and other health issues faced by the LGBTQ+ population. Despite these disparities, many gaps still exist in knowledge about LGBTQ+ smoking, nicotine addiction patterns, and other tobacco-related behaviors among sexual and gender minority groups. The UTHealth PRIDE Survey was developed to address these gaps.
Each June since 2014, Dr. Tami-Maury’s research team has participated in the annual Pride celebrations, working alongside local organizations to collect information on tobacco use, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other behavioral and socio-demographic characteristics among sexual and gender minority groups. In previous years, the survey has been primarily conducted during the Houston Pride Parade and Festival. Researchers administer the anonymous survey to self-identified LGBTQ+ individuals, regardless of smoking status.
The UTHealth PRIDE Survey has been essential for the development of tailored smoking interventions such as SmokefreeSGM, a text-messaging-based smoking cessation program for sexual and gender minorities (SGM) funded by the National Cancer Institute. It was also key in the City of Houston Health Department’s production of their recent five-year report on LGBTQ+ tobacco use among sexual and gender minority groups in Houston.
“The Houston Pride Festival won’t be taking place this year, so we’ve shifted our focus to distributing the survey towards online materials, email campaigns, a QR code, and during the Pride Parade itself,” said Tami-Maury. “We still expect a lot of success. We faced a similar situation in 2020 when the festival was canceled due to the pandemic, and we actually did fantastic in terms of the number of responses as we expanded our reach.”
If you or someone you know self-identifies as an LGBTQ+ individual and currently smokes cigarettes, but are looking to quit, please contact Dr. Tami-Maury’s team by calling (713) 500-9174.