Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38229114›Full record

SynthesisBMC psychology2024

Societal discrimination and mental health among transgender athletes: a systematic review and Meta-analysis.

Alex Siu Wing Chan, Alston Choong, Kean Chang Phang, Lok Man Leung, Patrick Ming Kuen Tang, Elsie Yan

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC psychology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
11.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Considerations in Care of the Transgender Orthopedic Patient.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2025
    Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Discrimination, Heterosexism and Perceived Stress Among Young LGBT Tunisians: Unveiling the Moderation Effects of Self-Esteem.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2024
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Alex Siu Wing ChanDepartment of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China. chansw.alex@gmail.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4420-8789
Alston ChoongDepartment of Sports Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kean Chang PhangDepartment of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Lok Man LeungDepartment of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
Patrick Ming Kuen TangDepartment of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, State Key Laboratory of Translational Oncology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
Elsie YanDepartment of Applied Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, SAR, China. elsie.yan@polyu.edu.hk.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0604-6259
Hong Kong Polytechnic University · HKUniversity of Malaya · MYChinese University of Hong Kong · HK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDiscrimination and inequality have been identified as significant problems faced by transgender individuals in sports participation. However, uncertainties remain regarding the effectiveness of interventions aimed at promoting equality.

objectivesThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the experiences of transgender athletes in sports, focusing on mental health issues and factors contributing to inequality among transgender and other sexual minorities.

methodsThe study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and searched 10 electronic databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, to identify eligible studies published between 2005 and 2022. The search yielded 1430 articles, of which only 12 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review.

resultsThe meta-analysis of the 12 studies included in this review revealed that transgender athletes faced social discrimination and inequality in sports participation, resulting in mental health problems and higher rates of suicide. From a cohort of 21,565 participants in the studies, 7152 (33%) were subjected to discrimination in sports participation and healthcare, with a rate of 0.61 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35, 0.81). However, transgender athletes who felt welcomed and embraced by their respective teams accounted for 0.39 (95% CI: 0.19, 0.65). These results indicated significant differences between how transgender athletes are treated in healthcare settings and when participating in sports.

conclusionThe study findings underscore the need for policies, cultural research, and interventions to address discrimination and inequality faced by transgender athletes in sports participation. Promoting equality and safeguarding the rights of transgender athletes can mitigate the risk of mental health problems and increase physical activity among sexual minorities.

Indexed as

SportsTransgender PersonsAthletesExerciseFemaleHumansMaleMental HealthHealth careHealth promotionInequalityMental healthMinorities stressSportTransgender

Identifiers

PMID38229114
PMCPMC10790386
OpenAlexW4390916768

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.