Background: Columbus, Ohio is home to the 15th largest LGBTQ+ population in the United States, yet no formal LGBTQ+ Community Health Needs Assessment has been conducted. The purpose of Columbus INSIGHT is to identify priority wellbeing and healthcare assets and concerns among LGBTQ+ adults living in Central Ohio for community improvement and intervention development.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 21 Key Informant (KI) leaders in the Central Ohio LGBTQ+ community about social determinants of health (SDOH), physical and mental health and wellbeing, and healthcare in their community. Audio files were transcribed and redacted for anonymity. We developed an a priori codebook informed by the Minority Stress Model and the SDOH, and inductive codes were added as they emerged from the data. Two researchers coded data independently; discrepancies were discussed and resolved via consensus.

Results: The majority of (16) KIs resided in Franklin County. KIs mostly identified as white (13) and Black (6). KIs identified as cisgender female (9), cisgender male (9), transgender female (1), and gender queer or nonbinary (2). KIs represented mostly Business (7), Community (6), and Healthcare (4) industries. Preliminary findings suggest that KIs view the LGBTQ+ as thriving in Columbus but identified concerns of perceived safety and access to social, economic, and healthcare resources due to anti-LGBTQ+ policies. Identified gaps in key SDOH include affordable housing and transportation. KIs identified sexually transmitted infections, substance use, and mental health as top population health concerns. While KIs described physical and mental healthcare as available to the LGBTQ+ community, they shared concerns with provider cultural humility, LGBTQ+-specific health knowledge, and restrictive state policy. KIs identified transgender; Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; low-income; youth; and seniors as priority populations for social, health, and healthcare intervention.

Conclusion and Next Steps: Findings highlight the importance of SDOH, including the policy environment, on LGBTQ+ social, mental, and physical wellbeing and offer opportunities for researchers, policymakers, government agencies, and community organizations to support LGBTQ+ population health by attending to broader structural forces impacting the LGBTQ+ community. Findings will be presented to Central Ohio health agencies for inclusion in future Community Health Improvement Plans.