“That is when I changed and my whole life changed”: Turning points in health perceptions among LGBTQ adults of color

ABSTRACT

This study explored turning points in health perceptions among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adults of color living in a major US city. Turning points in health perceptions were elicited from 38 participants through in-depth interviews and were examined using interpretive phenomenological analysis. Findings revealed three key themes: (a) diagnosis and disease; (b) death or illness of family and friends; and (c) changes in environmental context and body. The positive impacts of turning points are discussed, including the development of active coping skills, engagement in health-promoting behaviors, and increased community connectedness. Implications for future research are also suggested.

KEYWORDS:

• Turning points
• health perceptions
• LGBTQ people of color
• interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA)

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Meghan Romanelli for her role in data collection for this study. We would also like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the participants of this study for sharing their time and experiences.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research.