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A recent study has revealed that transgender and gender-diverse preteens are significantly less physically active than their cisgender peers, with findings showing they take, on average, 1,394 fewer steps per day. This difference is equivalent to roughly 12% of the daily physical activity recommended for adolescents. The research, published in Annals of Epidemiology, highlights potential barriers to physical activity for transgender and gender-diverse youth, such as stigma and discrimination.
The study, conducted by a team from the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of Toronto, followed 6,038 preteens as part of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, the largest long-term study of brain development in the U.S. Researchers tracked participants’ daily steps using Fitbit devices while also assessing their gender identity, including how much their gender aligned with their assigned sex at birth and their satisfaction with their assigned sex.
Dr. Jason M. Nagata, associate professor of pediatrics at UCSF and the study’s lead author, explained that transgender adolescents may experience barriers such as stigma and discrimination that discourage participation in sports or other physical activities. This could lead them to spend more time online, where they might feel more accepted and supported.
“Physical activity may instead be replaced by more time spent online, where they might find more accepting and supportive environments,” Nagata said.
In addition to examining binary gender categories, the researchers took a more nuanced approach to understanding gender. They assessed a range of gender identities and feelings about one’s gender, offering a more inclusive perspective on the complex and evolving experiences of young adolescents. Dr. Kyle T. Ganson, a co-author of the study, emphasized that traditional binary gender measures don’t fully capture the diverse and personal ways adolescents understand their gender.
“Binary measures of gender don’t capture the complex and evolving understanding of gender that these young teens experience,” Ganson said. “Our study highlights the importance of considering nuanced gender identities when addressing physical activity disparities in young people.”
The study’s findings suggest that additional efforts should be made to encourage physical activity, sports participation, and exercise among transgender and gender-diverse adolescents. Given the lifelong benefits of physical activity, researchers advocate for more inclusive approaches to ensure that all youth, regardless of gender identity, have access to supportive and encouraging environments that promote their health and well-being.
For more details, see the full study: Gender Diversity and Daily Steps: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study published in Annals of Epidemiology (DOI: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2024.11.004).
