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Keywords

Clinical Practice in Athletic Training

Abstract

Context: Previous literature reports that healthcare providers and student-athletes identifying as LGBTQIA+ encounter difficulties in their respective communities. A number medical professional associations have published statements affirming their commitment to providing access to patient-centered healthcare for LGBTQIA+ patients. Unfortunately, there is a lack of research related to the factors that influence perceived knowledge of and attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community among healthcare providers. More information on what factors impact perceived knowledge of and attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community would assist with creating interventions that improve perceived knowledge and attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community. The purpose of this study was to determine differences between gender related to perceived knowledge of and attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community among athletic trainers. Methods: An electronic survey was emailed to all NCAA athletic trainers whose email address was publicly available on their institution’s website. Recipients were encouraged to send the survey to any other credentialed athletic trainers they knew. A total of 291 (years of experience = 11± 9 years, 195 females, 91 males, 5 non-binary/third gender) participants opened and completed the survey. Following the demographics section, participants completed the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Knowledge and Attitude Scale (LGB-KAS). Independent samples t-tests were performed to determine differences between females and males regarding perceived knowledge of the LGBTQIA+ community, comfortable interaction, support for civil rights, religious conflicts, and internal affirmation related to the LGBTQIA+ community. Cohen’s-d tests were run to determine effect sizes. Results: Female athletic trainers reported significantly higher perceived knowledge (t(289) = -4.325, p < .001), comfortable interaction (t(289) = 3.852, p < .001), support for civil rights f (t(289) = -5.974, p < .001), and internal affirmation related to the LGBTQIA+ community (t(289) = -8.274, p < .001) compared to male athletic trainers. Female athletic trainers reported significantly lower religious conflicts related to the LGBTQIA+ community (t(289) = 3.968, p < .001) compared to male athletic trainers. Cohen’s d effect size testing revealed gender had a small effect on comfort interacting with members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Gender had moderate effects on perceived knowledge, religious conflicts, and support for civil rights for the LGBTQIA+ community. Gender had a large effect on internal affirmation related to the LGBTQIA+ community. Conclusion: Of the athletic trainers responding to this survey, females had higher perceived knowledge of, and more positive attitudes toward, the LGBTQIA+ community. While these findings were statistically significant, knowledge of and attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community are likely influenced by several factors. Further research is needed to provide a more complete view of how attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community are formed. This information will assist with the creation of interventions to improve knowledge of and attitudes toward the LGBTQIA+ community.

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