Brazilian transgender children and adolescents: Attributes associated with quality of life.
Fernanda Karla Nascimento, Roberta Alvarenga Reis, Alexandre Saadeh and 4 others
PMID 33174991WHAT IT FOUND
Transgender children and adolescents described family respect and chosen names as central to quality of life.
School and toilet access were major sources of stigma, fear and exclusion.
Key findings
01Respect from family and friends was described as protecting mental health and supporting physical and social well-being.
02School was reported as a main space for stigma and preconception, and adolescents described embarrassment when called by a registration name that did not match their gender.
03Difficulty using school and public toilets was a major reported problem, with fear of aggression and possible urinary infections.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
It is a qualitative study of 12 children and 20 adolescents recruited from one Brazilian gender identity outpatient clinic, so the themes may not apply to other settings or countries. Participants were invited through a Parents Group, which may mean the findings reflect families already engaged with the clinic. Some children were interviewed because focus groups could not be formed, and one child withdrew assent before the group started; these details may shape the data. The study did not use a formal instrument to exclude children who could not understand questions, relying on observation and reports. The authors did not return to participants to validate the themes, and statements were not presented because of confidentiality, so readers cannot see the original wording.
Declared interests
The supplied text lists CNPq scholarship grants and PROCAD/CAPES support. It gives no additional conflict-of-interest statement beyond this funding note.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as evidence that a specific clinical or school programme improves quality of life. The study reports what participants said in interviews and focus groups; it did not test an intervention.