# Leveraging Big Data for Transgender and Gender Minority Health Equity Research

> **NIH NIH R21** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $225,825

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Health disparities and barriers to health care for gender minorities (i.e., transgender, gender non-conforming,
non-binary, intersex individuals, and other minority gender identities) have been identified and targeted for
elimination by numerous organizations and agencies, including the National Institutes of Health. A growing
body of research indicates that gender minorities experience widespread discrimination and stigma in various
contexts (e.g., health care, employment, housing, public accommodations, and education) — which negatively
affects their physical, mental, behavioral, and social health. More concerning is the absence of robust data
collection efforts needed to monitor the health needs of gender minority (GM) populations in the United States.
The goal of this project is to develop the world’s largest cohort of gender minority (GM) patients using private
health insurance claims data that contains more than 33 billion claim records and over 150 million covered
lives in the United States. Using data from FAIR Health (a repository of private insurance claims submitted by
over 60 national and regional payors and third-party administrators), this project will identify, describe, and
compare health outcomes, health services utilization, and the social determinants of health between a matched
cohort of GM and non-GM patients. We will also evaluate correlations between state policy environments and
health disparities between GM and non-GM patients in FAIR Health data. Finally, we will identify a longitudinal
cohort of GM and non-GM individuals to follow over time. This project will lead to new discoveries in
understanding health outcomes, health services utilization, and the social determinants of health for GM
people in the United States.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10430577
- **Project number:** 1R21MD017332-01
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Gilbert Gonzales
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $225,825
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-01 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10430577

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10430577, Leveraging Big Data for Transgender and Gender Minority Health Equity Research (1R21MD017332-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10430577. Licensed CC0.

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