Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors and Coming-Out Dimensions Among Hispanic Puerto Rican Sexual Minority Young Adults

This study examined metabolic syndrome risk factors among sexual minority young adults and explored whether psychosocial dimensions of the coming-out process, specifically coming-out acceptance (COA) and coming-out growth (COG), were associated with cardiometabolic risk indicators. A cross-sectional, exploratory-correlational design was conducted with a non-probability stratified sample of 100 Hispanic Puerto Rican sexual minority adults age 21 to 40. Participants completed self-report measures assessing sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, COA, and COG and clinical indicators from physiological and laboratory assessments. Elevated cardiometabolic risk was common across the sample, with a substantial proportion of participants classified in risk or high-risk categories for multiple indicators. Few significant differences were observed between plurisexual and lesbian/gay participants. COA and COG were not significantly associated with most cardiometabolic indicators. These findings indicate a high prevalence of elevated cardiometabolic risk indicators among sexual minority young adults, with limited variation across sexual orientation subgroups. Psychosocial dimensions of the coming-out process were not independently associated with most cardiometabolic indicators, suggesting that broader contextual and structural factors may play a more prominent role in shaping health outcomes. These results underscore the importance of culturally informed, biopsychosocial approaches to understanding and addressing health disparities in sexual minority populations.Public Significance Statement This study highlights the reality that young Hispanic sexual minority adults experience high rates of metabolic syndrome– risk factors, regardless of sexual orientation. By also examining the roles of coming-out processes, our findings emphasize the need for integrated psychosocial and biomedical health screening and support for sexual minority individuals. These results can inform culturally affirming public-health strategies aimed at early detection and prevention of chronic disease risk in sexual minority populations.