Problem Statement and Background
Eating disorders are complex illnesses, and their exact causes cannot always be determined. Nowadays, transgender individuals have a much higher incidence of these disorders than cisgender individuals (Nagata et al., 2020). It is already known that this problem is often related to a person’s dissatisfaction with their body and can be triggered by diet or disrupted eating patterns during hormone replacement therapy.
The potential dependence of eating disorders on a person’s general psychological state after making the decision to change sex has also been determined. One of the risk factors is the influence of the environment, and in some cases, it can negatively affect the mental state of a transgender person (Testa et al., 2017). Unfortunately, there is still the problem of discrimination against people who are different from the majority in society, and this issue is not sufficiently disclosed in the existing research on the theme.
However, the current understanding of the problem does not sufficiently identify common factors and dependencies. There is a lack of comprehensive information due to the reluctance of many transgender people to disclose such personal information as well (Gordon et al., 2021). More relevant data and statistics on the correlation of problems with psychological causes are needed to develop the most accurate examination of the causes of eating disorders (Testa et al., 2017). Moreover, a deeper analysis of all possible risk factors connected to this situation should be conducted.
Rationale of the Study
This study will contribute to filling in the gaps in knowledge about the causes of eating disorders in transgender people. Furthermore, one of the study’s primary goals is to supplement existing methods for dealing with the onset of the problem. Equally important is the expansion of information on early detection of such a disorder and on preventive work with transgender people.
Purpose of the Study
This study aims to create a new methodology to help reduce the percentage of eating disorders in transgender people based on the most prevalent risk factors. It could include both advice on adjusting eating routines as well as advice on avoiding risky situations that can provoke the appearance of the issue. The study will likewise offer solutions for professionals who help these patients psychologically or physiologically.
Research Questions
The main issue that prompted the need for the study is the significant number of transgender people who suffer from eating disorders. According to some sources, the percentage of these cases among them is close to 15 percent, which is disproportionately high compared to cisgender individuals (Nagata et al., 2020). The main research questions were formulated utilizing this argument:
- What are the major risk factors for eating disorders within the transgender population?
- How to detect the presence of these factors in time before the onset of the disease?
- What methods can be used to prevent the occurrence of each of these factors, or at least to minimize their impact if they are already present?
The hypothesis of this study is an existence of a direct link between the occurrence of eating disorders and reasons related to the patient’s dissatisfaction with their body or discrimination. This hypothesis implies that there is a straightforward correlation between the disease and the risk factors, which should represent an improvement in the overall situation if they are entirely or partially eliminated.
References
Gordon, A. R., Moore, L. B., & Guss, C. (2021). Eating disorders among transgender and gender non-binary people. In Eating disorders in boys and men (pp. 265-281). Springer, Cham.
Nagata, J. M., Ganson, K. T., & Austin, S. B. (2020). Emerging trends in eating disorders among sexual and gender minorities. Current opinion in psychiatry, 33(6), 562. Web.
Testa, R. J., Rider, G. N., Haug, N. A., & Balsam, K. F. (2017). Gender confirming medical interventions and eating disorder symptoms among transgender individuals. Health Psychology, 36(10), 927. Web.