Background: Physical activity has been found to alleviate mental health problems and could be beneficial for at-risk populations, such as transgender people. This study had 3 aims. First, to explore the amount of physical activity that treatment-seeking transgender people engage in and to compare this to matched cisgender people. Second, to determine whether there was a difference in physical activity depending on cross-sex hormone use. Third, to determine factors that predict physical activity among treatment-seeking transgender people.
Methods: Transgender (n = 360) and cisgender people (n = 314) were recruited from the United Kingdom. Participants were asked to complete questionnaires about physical activity, symptoms of anxiety and depression, self-esteem, body satisfaction, and transphobia.
Results: Transgender people engaged in less physical activity than cisgender people. Transgender people who were on cross-sex hormone treatment engaged in more physical activity than transgender people who were not. In transgender people on cross-sex hormones, high body satisfaction was the best statistical predictor of physical activity, whereas high self-esteem was the best statistical predictor in people who were not.
Conclusion: Transgender people are less active than cisgender people. Cross-sex hormone treatment appears to be able to indirectly increase physical activity within this population, which may be beneficial for mental well-being.
Keywords: body satisfaction; cross-sex hormones; exercise; gender-confirming medical interventions; mental health; self-esteem.