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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Neuroendocrine Science
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1496160
This article is part of the Research Topic New Advances in Biomedical Research on Sex, Gender & Gender Incongruence View all 3 articles

Body composition and perceived stress levels in transgender individuals after one year of gender affirming hormone therapy

Provisionally accepted
Chiara Ceolin Chiara Ceolin *Alberto Scala Alberto Scala Bianca Scagnet Bianca Scagnet Anna Citron Anna Citron Federica Vilona Federica Vilona Marina De Rui Marina De Rui Marina Miscioscia Marina Miscioscia Valentina Camozzi Valentina Camozzi Alberto Ferlin Alberto Ferlin Giuseppe SERGI Giuseppe SERGI Andrea Garolla Andrea Garolla
  • University of Padua, Padua, Italy

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Higher stress levels are linked to increased body fat and decreased bone density, effects that can be exacerbated by lifestyle choices. This is particularly relevant for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals, who often face additional stress from transphobia and social stigma. However, there is limited research on how stress affects body composition and bone health in TGD individuals, particularly in relation to gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). This study examines the impact of perceived stress on these factors in TGD individuals before and after one year of GAHT, compared to a cisgender control group.: The study assessed 181 individuals, including 74 TGD participants (44 assigned female at birth [AFAB] and 30 assigned male at birth [AMAB]) and 107 controls (56 AFAB and 51 AMAB). Fifty-seven TGD participants completed follow-up one year after starting GAHT. Data collected included clinical history, blood tests, body composition, bone density, and quality of life assessments (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9] and Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]).Results: After one year of GAHT, TGD AFAB individuals showed a bone mineral density (BMD) similar to cisgender AMAB individuals, while TGD AMAB individuals' BMD remained significantly lower than cisgender controls. TGD AFAB individuals experienced increases in muscle strength (+8% from baseline), while TGD AMAB individuals showed a 24% increase in fat mass from baseline and an approximate 8% reduction in lean mass. PSS and PHQ scores, initially higher in TGD individuals, did not change significantly after one year of GAHT. A significant correlation was found between body fat percentage and PHQ and PSS scores at baseline and one year after GAHT, respectively.Conclusions: These findings reveal a complex relationship between GAHT, body composition, and perceived stress in TGD individuals, highlighting the need for further research on stress and health outcomes in this population.

    Keywords: transgender, stress, Body Composition, bone mineral density, PHQ, PSS

    Received: 13 Sep 2024; Accepted: 31 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ceolin, Scala, Scagnet, Citron, Vilona, De Rui, Miscioscia, Camozzi, Ferlin, SERGI and Garolla. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Chiara Ceolin, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

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