Dataset Information

Disparities in food insecurity between sexual minority and heterosexual adults - a higher burden on bisexual individuals.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sexual minorities-individuals who identify as gay/lesbian, bisexual, or other non-heterosexual individuals-experience higher rates of food insecurity (FI) compared to heterosexual individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, discrimination and structural racism, which are known risk factors for food insecurity, were perpetuated against sexual and racial/ethnic minorities. However, to our knowledge, a nationally representative analysis of the impact of the pandemic on food insecurity by sexual minority status and based on race/ethnicity is missing. We aimed to determine the degree of association between FI and sexual minority adults overall, before (2019) and during (2020-2021) the pandemic, and stratified by race/ethnicity.

Methods

We used nationally representative data from the 2019-2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). We specified multivariable logistic regression models to determine the association between FI and identifying as a sexual minority adult (≥18 years old), including gay/lesbian, bisexual, and other non-heterosexual individuals.

Results

Overall, we only observed FI disparities between bisexuals and heterosexuals (aOR 1.61 [95% CI 1.31-1.99]). Stratified by year, this association was significant only during the pandemic. Stratified by race/ethnicity, non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black individuals identifying as bisexual also experienced a significantly higher FI rate than their heterosexual counterparts.

Conclusion

Our results may be a manifestation of the disproportionate impact of discrimination on bisexual individuals' FI experiences. With the growing number of legislative bills targeting the rights of sexual minorities, we expect to see a higher burden of FI among bisexuals, particularly, bisexual people of color. Future intersectional research regarding FI among bisexual and racial/ethnic minority individuals would further elucidate how membership in multiple minority groups may contribute to a higher risk of FI.

SUBMITTER: Sharareh N

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10441544 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Disparities in food insecurity between sexual minority and heterosexual adults - a higher burden on bisexual individuals.

Sharareh Nasser N Bybee Sara S Goldstein Evan E Jones Shannon S Hess Rachel R Wallace Andrea A Seligman Hilary H Wilson Fernando A FA

Frontiers in public health 20230807

<h4>Background</h4>Sexual minorities-individuals who identify as gay/lesbian, bisexual, or other non-heterosexual individuals-experience higher rates of food insecurity (FI) compared to heterosexual individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, discrimination and structural racism, which are known risk factors for food insecurity, were perpetuated against sexual and racial/ethnic minorities. However, to our knowledge, a nationally representative analysis of the impact of the pandemic on food insecu ...[more]

PMID: 37608986

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Project description:Background and objectivesSexual satisfaction is an important part of sexual health and overall well-being. A large number of older people continue to be sexually active, and many are satisfied with their sex life. However, little is known about whether sexual satisfaction differs according to sexual orientation. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate whether sexual satisfaction differs according to sexual orientation in later life.Research design and methodsThe German Ageing Survey is a nationally representative study of the German population aged 40+. In the third wave (2008), data on both sexual orientation (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, other) and sexual satisfaction (1-very dissatisfied to 5-very satisfied) were collected. Multiple regression analyses with sampling weights were performed (stratified by age: 40-64; 65+).ResultsWe included 4,856 individuals in our analysis (mean age 57.6 ± 11.6; 40-85 years, 50.4% were women, 92.3% (n = 4,483) were heterosexual, and 7.7% (n = 373) were sexual minority adults). In sum, 55.9% of heterosexual individuals and 52.3% of sexual minority adults were satisfied or very satisfied with their sex life. Multiple regression analysis showed that sexual orientation was not significantly associated with sexual satisfaction among both middle-aged (β = 0.07; p = .45) and older adults (β = 0.01; p = .87). Higher sexual satisfaction was associated with lower loneliness scores, partnership satisfaction, importance of sexuality and intimacy, and better health status.Discussion and implicationsOur analysis showed that sexual orientation was not significantly associated with sexual satisfaction among both middle-aged and older adults. Lower loneliness, better health status, and partnership satisfaction significantly contributed to higher sexual satisfaction. Approximately 45% of older individuals (aged 65 years and older), regardless of their sexual orientation, were still satisfied with their sex life.

Project description:BackgroundSexual orientation has been measured in a wide variety of ways which reflect both theoretical and practical considerations. However, choice of sexual orientation measure and recoding strategy can impact analytic sample, as well as demographic and health profiles, in analyses of sexual minority populations. We aimed to examine how choice of sexual orientation dimension and recoding decisions impact estimates in the sexual minority population in two population-based studies in the UK.MethodsWe used data collected at age 17 (2018) in the UK Millennium Cohort Study and at sweep six (2012-13) and eight (2017-18) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the impact of choice of sexual orientation dimension (i.e. identity, attraction and experience) and recoding decisions on achieved analytic sample and composition by selected demographic and health measures within and between datasets.ResultsDimension choice and recoding decisions resulted in variation in analytic sample. For example, more respondents reported some same-sex sexual attraction than reported a non-heterosexual identity (adolescents: 20.77% vs 8.97%, older adults: 4.77% vs 1.04%). Demographic distributions varied, but not substantially by dimension choice or recoding strategy. Overall, in both datasets sexual minority respondents were more likely to be White and in the highest quintiles for income and education than heterosexual respondents. Health status did not vary substantially by dimension choice or recoding strategy, however sexual minority respondents reported worse health than their heterosexual peers.ConclusionsThis study explores a range of practical and theoretical considerations when analysing sexual minority respondents using survey data. We highlight the impact recoding decisions may have on the numbers of sexual minority respondents identified within a dataset and demographic and health distributions in this understudied population. We also demonstrate the benefits of including multiple dimensions for capturing mechanisms of interest in elucidating ambiguous responses and exploring sexual diversity.

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Dataset Information

Disparities in food insecurity between sexual minority and heterosexual adults - a higher burden on bisexual individuals.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

Disparities in food insecurity between sexual minority and heterosexual adults - a higher burden on bisexual individuals.

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