Evaluation of Sexual Orientation Items in Population Health Surveys Among Canadians: A Mixed Methods Approach

A single item sexual orientation question has been asked in Statistics Canada health surveys to identify health inequalities in Canada. Using a mixed methods study with convenience sample of Canadians, we evaluated this question in comparison to a set of US questions that includes domains of sexual identity, behaviour and attraction. The single item question had an 85.8% sensitivity and 100% specificity in capturing sexual minorities from the broadest definition (n = 311). Chance-corrected agreements with sexual identity, 12 months and life time sexual behaviour were 0.89, 0.39 and 0.48 respectively. Both trans and cisgender people revealed that there were problems with the question, although trans people were more likely to be unclassifiable by the single item question. Findings suggest the need to further refine this question for more accurate identification patterns of health in Canada

Predictors of Psychedelics, Ketamine, and LSD use among LGBTQ+ youths: A Machine Learning Analysis

This is a planned secondary data analysis of cross-sectional data from 1500 Canadian LGBTQ+ youths (aged 16-29) taken from a smoking cessation campaign. We plan to identify the most important predictors that are associated with any use psychedelics, ketamine or LSD in the past 12 months among a set of 96 candidate predictors with machine learning methods such as random forest and LASSO. We also aim to identify interactions between sociodemographic characteristics and the most important predictors of the outcome. Few research had been done in this particular topic, so this will be an exploratory analysis with no prespecified hypothesis. Data requests can be made available upon REB approva

Identifying Factors Affecting Depressive Symptoms and Incidence of Mental Health Diagnosis within 1 Year among 2SLGBTQ+ Youth During COVID-19 Using Machine Learning Methods

Using machine learning analysis on the LGBTQI2S+ Tobacco Project Survey dataset on LGBTQI2S+ young adults in Ontario and Quebec, we identified important predictors for depressive symptoms and new mental health diagnoses within a one year time period

Eroticism versus Nurturance: How Eroticism and Nurturance Differ in Polyamorous and Monogamous Relationships

Romantic partners provide both erotic and nurturing experiences, though these may emerge more strongly in different phases of a relationship. Unlike individuals in monogamous relationships, those in polyamorous relationships can pursue multiple romantic relationships simultaneously, potentially allowing them to experience higher levels of eroticism and nurturance. This research examined eroticism and nurturance among individuals in polyamorous and monogamous relationships. As expected, polyamorous participants experienced less eroticism but more nurturance in their relationships with their primary partner compared to secondary. Furthermore, people in polyamorous relationships reported more nurturance with primary partners and eroticism with secondary partners compared to people in monogamous relationships. These findings suggest that polyamory may provide a unique opportunity for individuals to experience both eroticism and nurturance simultaneously