Health, Economic, and Social Disparities among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Sexually Diverse Adults: Results from a Population-Based Study

Abstract

We investigated health, economic, and social disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and sexually diverse adults, 18 years and older. Analyzing 2011–2019 Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (N = 109,527), we estimated and compared the prevalence rates of background characteristics, economic and social indicators, health outcomes, chronic conditions, health care access, health behaviors, and preventive care by gender and sexual identity. Sexual minority adults reported heightened risks of poor general health, physical and mental health, disability, subjective cognitive decline, and financial barriers to health care, compared with their straight counterparts. Economic disparities and disability were evident for lesbians and both bisexual adult women and men. We found higher rates of smoking and excessive drinking among lesbians and bisexual women, and higher rates of smoking and living alone among gay men. Sexually diverse adults experience disparities in health care access. This study is one of the first to identify disparities among sexually diverse populations, in addition to lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. More research is required to understand the mechanisms of disparities within these groups to address their distinct intervention needs.

Keywords:

• diversity
• health disparities
• sexual minorities

Data availability statement

The data used for this study are all publicly available from the State of Washington’s Department of Public Health.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01AG026526 (Fredriksen-Goldsen, PI). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute On Aging of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01AG026526 (Fredriksen-Goldsen, PI). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not neces