Disparities in Health-Related Quality of Life: A Comparison of Lesbians and Bisexual Women
- 1 November 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Public Health Association in American Journal of Public Health
- Vol. 100 (11), 2255-2261
- https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2009.177329
Abstract
Objectives. We investigated the association of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) with sexual orientation among lesbians and bisexual women and compared the predictors of HRQOL between the 2 groups. Methods. We used multivariate logistic regression to analyze Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System population-based data (2003 to 2007) in a sample of 1496 lesbians and bisexual women and examined determinants of HRQOL among lesbians and bisexual women. Results. For lesbians and bisexual women, frequent mental distress and poor general health were associated with poverty and lack of exercise; poor general health was associated with obesity and mental distress. Bisexual women showed a higher likelihood of frequent mental distress and poor general health than did lesbians. The odds of mental distress were higher for bisexual women living in urban areas as compared with nonurban areas. Lesbians had an elevated risk of poor general health and mental distress during midlife. Conclusions. Despite the standard practice of collapsing sexual minority women into a single group, lesbian and bisexual women in this study emerge as distinct groups that merit specific attention. Bisexual women are at elevated risk for poor HRQOL.Keywords
This publication has 47 references indexed in Scilit:
- Demonstrating the Importance and Feasibility of Including Sexual Orientation in Public Health Surveys: Health Disparities in the Pacific NorthwestAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2010
- Socioeconomic Status and Age Variations in Health-Related Quality of Life: Results From the National Health Measurement StudyThe Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2009
- Social patterning of stress and coping: Does disadvantaged social statuses confer more stress and fewer coping resources?Social Science & Medicine (1982), 2008
- U.S. Disparities in Health: Descriptions, Causes, and MechanismsAnnual Review of Public Health, 2008
- Physical Health Complaints Among Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexual and Homosexually Experienced Heterosexual Individuals: Results From the California Quality of Life SurveyAmerican Journal of Public Health, 2007
- Asthma Diagnosis Among Individuals in Same-Sex RelationshipsJournal of Asthma, 2006
- Prevalence of mental disorders, psychological distress, and mental services use among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults in the United States.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 2003
- Sexual Orientation and Health: Comparisons in the Women's Health Initiative SampleArchives of Family Medicine, 2000
- Coming Out for Lesbian WomenJournal of Homosexuality, 1998
- Neutralizing the political threat of the marginal woman: Lesbians’ beliefs about bisexual womenThe Journal of Sex Research, 1993