Session: Recentering the Knowledge Base on Violence, Health Care Access, and Social Connectedness to Promote the Health of LGBTQ People (Society for Social Work and Research 28th Annual Conference - Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science)

LGBTQ adults consistently report worse health and mental health outcomes relative to their cisgender heterosexual counterparts. Despite increased attention to LGBTQ health research, it remains an imperative to understand the mechanisms accounting for these disparities. Few longitudinal studies identify LGBTQ participants, and even fewer endeavor to collect information related to LGBTQ-specific factors that drive disparities. These gaps reinforce LGBTQ health research as an understudied area and uphold LGBTQ health inequities as critical targets for intervention. To fill this critical gap, a national longitudinal survey, Aging with Pride: National Health, Aging and Sexuality/Gender Study (NHAS), was launched in 2014 with the engagement of 17 community-based collaborators. Subsequent biennial data collection from the 2,450 LGBTQ participants aged 50 and older has continued over a decade for five waves. Drawing upon the success of NHAS, the Wellness with Pride study was launched to expand data collection to those aged 18 and older. These studies are framed by the Health Equity Promotion model (HEPM) which conceptualizes structural and individual level processes that facilitate or inhibit LGBTQ health equity. HEPM's consideration for unique constellations of risks and resiliencies across the life-course permits the exploration of heterogeneity in health outcomes among LGBTQ subgroups. This symposium brings together research examining different hypothesized mechanisms that account for LGBTQ populations' physical and mental health. The first paper is focused on the relationship between discrimination, multidimensional social connectedness, community engagement, and cognitive impairment among LGBTQ older adults. Moderating effects of race/ethnicity allow us to uncover heterogeneity within LGBTQ subpopulations and understand the experiences of multiple marginalized LGBTQ adults. The second paper is focused on indicators of health care access. Six latent classes were identified that characterized different types of barriers experienced by LGBTQ care-seekers. Subpopulations at risk for multiple barriers are considered and predictors of class membership are examined to identify priority populations for resource allocation and targeted intervention. The third paper is focused on violence in the lives of LGBTQ adults and the path relationships between it and both adverse and health-promoting health behaviors, health care access, and disability among LGBTQ individuals. The findings from these studies underscore the need to develop culturally tailored interventions, including both downstream and upstream, that address these mechanisms to mitigate the impact on the health and well-being of LGBTQ adults. Findings from the NHAS and Wellness with Pride studies serve as the foundation for translating knowledge into practice; evidence from both ground our work to build tailored interventions and the community-based programs that translate and disseminate our research into practice and policy settings. This symposium will provide an opportunity to consider how this research underpins our translational practices to promote health equity among LGBTQ communities. LGBTQ adults are a historically marginalized population, and the research reported here has been developed through strong partnerships within communities to promote health and well-being. Focusing attention and building knowledge within these marginalized and largely invisible populations support the recentering of knowledge to promote health.