Examining Material Need Insecurity Among LGBTQ+ Older Adults Across Frontier, Rural & Urban South Texas
Ian Johnson

TL;DR
This study explores how LGBTQ+ older adults in South Texas experience material need insecurity and identifies factors influencing their health and well-being.
Contribution
The study provides insights into material-need insecurity among rural and frontier LGBTQ+ older adults, highlighting community-driven solutions and health disparities.
Findings
Material security varies across frontier, rural, and urban South Texas communities.
Health conditions moderate both material insecurity and social isolation among participants.
Peer-led interventions like the promotora model are suggested as solutions to material insecurity.
Abstract
Material-need insecurity—unthreatened access to tangible, basic human needs—is a key social determinant of health. LGBTQ+ individuals experience disproportionately higher rates of such insecurity (e.g., food, housing, medication) across their lifespans compared to cisgender, heterosexual age peers. With 30% of older Texans residing in rural areas, understanding the material needs and protective factors of rural LGBTQ+ older adults is crucial. This presentation examines material-need insecurity among LGBTQ+ adults aged 55 and over in South Texas’s 38 counties. Data includes English and Spanish survey responses collected via area agencies on aging and LGBTQ+ community centers, assessing material security across five domains: housing, food, utilities, technology, and prescription medication. Surveys also gathered information on perceived health, diagnosed health conditions, social…
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Taxonomy
TopicsLGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Homelessness and Social Issues · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations
