Gender diversity and daily steps: Findings from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

Purpose

To examine the association between multiple dimensions of gender diversity and physical activity (daily steps) in a diverse national sample of early adolescents in the United States.

Methods

This study analyzed Year 2 data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 6038, M_age=12.0 years). Linear regression models were used to estimate the associations of gender diversity across multiple measures (transgender identity, felt gender, gender expression, gender non-contentedness) with daily step count measured by wrist-worn Fitbit devices.

Results

In this sample of early adolescents, 49.7 % were assigned female at birth, 39.4 % were from racial/ethnic minority groups, and 1 % to 16.9 % identified as gender diverse, depending on the measure used. Transgender identity was associated with 1394 (95 % confidence interval 284–2504) fewer steps per day compared to cisgender identity after adjusting for all covariates. Greater gender diversity, as measured by felt gender and gender non-contentedness, was also associated with lower daily steps.

Conclusions

Transgender and gender-diverse adolescents engage in less physical activity than their cisgender peers. This research has important implications for public health and policies focused on supporting physical activity among transgender and gender-diverse early adolescents.