摘要：To assess the extent to which public health schools conduct research, offer planned curricula, and provide resources related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health, we mailed a self-administered questionnaire to individual department chairpersons at each school. Survey results suggested that departmental lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender research and curricular activities extending beyond HIV and AIDS were uncommon in most public health school programs. Expanding lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health research and curricula may help health professionals improve their response to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health disparities. The mission of public health is to ensure societal conditions in which people can be healthy. 1 Health services and programs tailored to the cultural characteristics of diverse populations (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities and elderly, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people) are more effective in addressing health disparities. 2 – 12 Thus, the establishment of culturally competent health care systems (i.e., the integration of knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, practices, and policies that enable effective, quality health services in cross-cultural situations) has been identified as fundamental for achieving the public health mission. 13 A growing body of research 14 – 17 identifies some health disparities of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population. For example, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people are at increased risk for experiencing mental health problems, 18 – 31 engaging in substance use and abuse, 32 – 49 and contending with discrimination and violence. 50 – 60 Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people also encounter unique barriers to accessing and using appropriate health services. 18 , 38 , 61 – 68 Consequently, factors associated with sexual orientation and gender identity are increasingly recognized as important to consider in public health practice and research. 7 , 69 In light of the increasing recognition of the health disparities of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population, we conducted a survey to examine the extent to which US schools of public health focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health through research and planned curricula. Our 3 primary objectives were (1) to assess overall climate indicators (e.g., sexual orientation nondiscrimination policy, same-sex domestic partner health insurance benefits) for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people affiliated with public health schools; (2) to measure the prevalence of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender research and curricula; and (3) to establish a baseline to gauge the efforts of public health education to address the health needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
