Since 2008 Out, Proud and Healthy has been conducting LGBT health needs assessments annually. With the help of our partners we have been able to build deliberate research strategies allowing us to collect more than 10,000 surveys representing the voices of sexual and gender minorities across Missouri. Our research used a multi-modal data collection approach (at pride festivals and online) and was supplemented with focus group data. Additionally, the voices of racial and ethnic minorities within the LGBTQ community are represented in our datasets. This has allowed Out, Proud and Healthy to generate historic reports about LGBT demographics, tobacco use, alcohol use, fitness, mental health and health disparities in general.
Since we began Out, Proud and Healthy has expanded our research focus beyond LGBT tobacco use to include a women’s health and fitness project and a safe provider listing project. Thanks to the hard work of our research team, advisory board and community partners, this research represents some of the best LGBTQ health disparities work being done nationally.
