Grant: Catalyst Grant: Healthy Youth - 2SLGBTQI+ Youth

Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (2SLGBTQI+) specific recreational sports offer new opportunities for health intervention with 2SLGBTQI+ youth in Canada. Growing evidence outlines both the physical and mental health disparities experienced by 2SLGBTQI+ young people in contrast with their heterosexual and cisgender peers. 2SLGBTQI+ recreational sports presents a unique opportunity to benefit the health of 2SLGBTQI+ youth as it represents both the benefits of sports and physical activity, but also a social connection to the broader 2SLGBTQI+ community, a protective factor for the mental health of 2SLGBTQI+ youth. Sport participation can have tremendous benefits for young people's mental and physical health. It can reduce symptoms of depression, stress, and anxiety, improve academic performance, self-esteem, cardiovascular and general fitness, and it can create opportunities for social connection. However, a large disparity remains between 2SLGBTQI+ youth and their cisgender heterosexual peers in terms of sports participation and physical activity. Despite these gaps, 2SLGBTQI+ young people still seek out sport, and 2SLGBTQI+ recreational sports, to support their own health and wellbeing. Through a three-stage project, including both 500 surveys and 40 interviews with 2SLGBTQI+ youth, this study will understand the ways that 2SLGBTQI+ recreational sports operate to support 2SLGBTQI+ youth health. Our multi-disciplinary team includes youth- and 2SLGBTQI-focused researchers from public health, physical health education, social work, sexology, and sociology and is partnered with a youth-led community organization. In addition to outputs for 2SLGBTQI+ youth themselves, this project will also develop a series of resources for healthcare providers, policymakers, and community members to use in their work with 2SLGBTQI+ youth.