Religiosity and sociodemographic predictors of humanized attitudes in transgender health care in a cross-sectional analytical study

Abstract Background Multiple factors, including personal beliefs, sociodemographic characteristics, and professional training, influence humanized care for transgender individuals. Religiosity may shape attitudes either by fostering empathy and solidarity or by reinforcing exclusionary views. This study examined whether dimensions of religiosity and sociodemographic characteristics independently predict humanized attitudes toward transgender health care. Methods A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted between June 2023 and July 2024 with 443 health professionals and final-year students in Medicine, Dentistry, and Nursing at a university hospital in Brazil. Humanization attitudes were assessed using the Transgender Health Care Humanization Scale (THcH), and religiosity was measured using the Duke University Religion Index (DUREL). Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and multiple linear regression were performed to examine differences and predictors of THcH scores. Results Higher humanization scores were observed among younger, employed female participants. Organizational religious activity was a significant positive predictor of humanized attitudes, whereas intrinsic religiosity, particularly when religion was described as guiding life decisions, showed a marginal inverse association. Conclusion Humanization in transgender health care is influenced by sociodemographic characteristics and dimensions of religiosity. Strengthening ethics and gender diversity content in health education may enhance inclusive practices.