Health Differences Among Older Adults by Sexual Identity
Author Information
Author(s): Iveniuk James, Johns Michelle, Zhong Selena, Schilt Kristen
Primary Institution: The National Opinion Research Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Hypothesis
How do health outcomes differ between sexual minority women and heterosexual women?
Conclusion
Sexual minority women experience higher depressive symptoms than heterosexual women, but other health differences were not found.
Supporting Evidence
- Sexual minority women had higher depressive symptoms than heterosexual women in the NSHAP study.
- In the SAMLAP study, bisexual women had higher odds of developing diabetes compared to lesbian women.
Takeaway
This study looks at how the health of women who love other women compares to women who love men, finding that the first group feels sadder but not much else is different.
Methodology
The study used OLS and logistic regressions to compare health outcomes between sexual minority women and heterosexual women.
Limitations
Limited large-scale national surveys collecting sexual orientation data.
Participant Demographics
Older adults, including sexual minority women and heterosexual women.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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