Towards Providing Culturally Aware Nutritional Care for Transgender People: Key Issues and Considerations
Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
15 March 2018
Abstract
Transgender people are an important group for whom access to healthcare is often problematic. Dietitians need to be aware of key issues in transgender health to provide culturally competent clinical nutritional care. This article serves as a primer, clarifying key terms and concepts, exploring the impact of stigma and discrimination on health and nutrition for people from transgender communities, and offering practical advice for nutritional and other related issues. Education for dietitians both pre- and postqualification is an important part of improving care and building skills and awareness of cultural humility. Transgender people may be at increased nutritional risk due to increased risk of cardiovascular disease, HIV, body image issues, and food insecurity. This risk profile, along with the history of trauma both outside and related to the medical community means that there is an urgent need for dietitians to develop practice tools for assessment, care, and referral to improve the nutritional status and well-being of this client group.
Résumé
Les personnes transgenres constituent un groupe important pour lequel l’accès aux soins de santé est souvent problématique. Les diététistes doivent être au courant des enjeux de santé clés des personnes transgenres afin de pouvoir offrir des soins nutritionnels cliniques tenant compte des différences culturelles. Cet article sert d’introduction et a pour but de clarifier les termes et concepts importants, d’explorer l’impact de la stigmatisation et de la discrimination sur la santé et la nutrition des personnes issues des communautés transgenres, et de proposer des conseils pratiques sur la nutrition et d’autres enjeux connexes. La formation des diététistes, avant ou après qu’ils soient qualifiés, joue un rôle important dans l’amélioration des soins et le développement des compétences et de la sensibilisation associées à l’humilité culturelle. Les personnes transgenres peuvent présenter de plus grands risques nutritionnels en raison des risques accrus de maladie cardiovasculaire, de VIH, de problèmes d’image corporelle et d’insécurité alimentaire. Ce profil de risque, combiné à un historique d’événements traumatisants relatifs ou non à la communauté médicale, signifie qu’il est urgent que les diététistes développent des outils de pratique pour l’évaluation, le traitement et la recommandation afin d’améliorer l’état nutritionnel et le bien-être de ce groupe de clients.
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Financial support: None.
Conflicts of interest: The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 79 • Number 2 • June 2018
Pages: 74 - 79
History
Version of record online: 15 March 2018
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© 2018 © Agricultural Institute Of Canada.
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PamelaFergussonRD, PhD, NicoleGreenspanPhD, LukasMaitlandBSW, RSW, and RémyHuberdeauBA. 2018. Towards Providing Culturally Aware Nutritional Care for Transgender People: Key Issues and Considerations. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.
79(2): 74-79. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2018-001
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