Dataset Information

Self-Rated Health by Sexual Orientation Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Canada.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:This article examines patterns of self-rated physical and mental health by sexual orientation among middle-aged and older adults in Canada, a rapidly growing subpopulation shown to be at risk of poor health. METHOD:We use the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS 2015-2016) to estimate logit models predicting fair/poor self-rated physical and mental health by sexual orientation among middle-aged and older adults, stratifying by sex and age group. RESULTS:We find no differences in physical health for gay men and lesbian women compared with their heterosexual counterparts. However, middle-aged gay men are disadvantaged in terms of mental health, but not women. Bisexual women are disadvantaged in terms of physical health, and for mental health in some model specifications. Respondents who did not know their sexual orientation have poorer health across some measures of health and age groups. DISCUSSION:Our findings add to the paucity of research on older sexual minorities in Canada. They highlight the importance of separating out sexual minority groups because bisexual women have distinct health profiles. In addition, this is the first study to examine the health of respondents who "do not know" their sexual orientation, and future research should distinguish between different explanations for their poor health.

SUBMITTER: Sivakumaran G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7489081 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Self-Rated Health by Sexual Orientation Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Canada.

Sivakumaran Gajan G Margolis Rachel R

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences 20200901 8

<h4>Objectives</h4>This article examines patterns of self-rated physical and mental health by sexual orientation among middle-aged and older adults in Canada, a rapidly growing subpopulation shown to be at risk of poor health.<h4>Method</h4>We use the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS 2015-2016) to estimate logit models predicting fair/poor self-rated physical and mental health by sexual orientation among middle-aged and older adults, stratifying by sex and age group.<h4>Results</h4>We find ...[more]

PMID: 31120125

Similar Datasets

Project description:Background:Self-rated Health (SRH) is regarded as a simple and valid measure of a person's health status, given its association to adverse health outcomes, including low physical performance in older populations. However, studies investigating these associations in low- and middle-income settings are scarce, especially for middle-aged populations. Understanding the validity of SRH in relation to objective health measures in low-income populations could assist in decision making about health policy and strategies, especially in under-resourced settings. Objective:Assess the relationship between SRH and physical performance measures in middle-aged and older women in a low-income setting of Brazil. Methods:This is a cross-sectional study of 571 middle-aged (40-59 years old) and older (60-80 years old) women living in Parnamirim and Santa Cruz in the Northeast region of Brazil. Participants reported their health status and were allocated to the "SRH good" or "SRH poor" groups. The physical performance evaluation included: handgrip strength, one-legged balance with eyes open and closed and chair stand test. The relationship between SRH and physical performance for middle-aged and older women was assessed by quantile regression (modeling medians) adjusted for potential confounders (age, socioeconomic variables, body mass index, menopause status, age at first birth, parity, chronic conditions and physical activity). Results:Middle-aged women from the "SRH good" group presented better physical performance with 1.75 kgf stronger handgrip strength (95% CI [0.47-3.02]; p = 0.004), 1.31 s longer balance with eyes closed ([0.00-2.61]; p = 0.030), and they were 0.56 s faster in the chair stand test ([0.18-0.94]; p = 0.009) than those who reported "SRH poor". No association was found for balance with eyes open. For older women, there was no evidence of associations between physical performance and SRH. Conclusion:This study showed that SRH is significantly associated with objective measures of physical performance in a sample of low-income middle-aged women. SRH can be an important tool to indicate the need for further evaluation of physical performance among middle-aged women and can be particularly useful for low-income communities.

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:BackgroundPersonal social capital, which refers to the scope and quality of an individual's social networks within a community, has received increasing attention as a potential sociological factor associated with better individual health; yet, the mechanism relating social capital to health is still not fully understood. This study examined the associations between social capital and self-rated health while exploring the roles of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and socioeconomic status (SES) among middle-aged and older adults.MethodsCross-sectional data were collected from 662 middle-aged and older adults (Mean age: 58.11 ± 10.59 years old) using the Qualtrics survey panel. Personal Social Capital Scale was used to measure bonding and bridging social capital and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess LTPA levels. SES was assessed by education and household income levels. Self-rated health was assessed using a single item, by which the participants were categorized into the two groups, having 'good' vs. 'not good' self-rated health. A series of univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were established to examine the independent and adjusted associations of social capital with self-rated health and to test mediating and moderating roles of LTPA and SES, respectively.ResultsBonding and bridging social capital were positively associated with self-rated health (Odds ratios = 1.11 and 1.09; P's < .05, respectively), independent of LTPA that was also significantly associated with greater self-rated health (P-for-linear trends = .007). After adjusting SES, the associations of social capital were significantly attenuated and there was a significant interaction effect by household income (P-for-interaction = .012). Follow-up analyses stratified by household income showed that beneficial associations of social capital with self-rated health were more apparent among the people with low and high levels of household income; yet, LTPA was the stronger predictor of self-rated health among those in the middle class of household income.ConclusionsFindings suggest that both social capital and LTPA are associated with better self-rated health; yet, these associations vary by SES. The health policymakers should address both social capital and LTPA for enhancing perceived health among aging populations but may need to consider varying SES backgrounds.

Dataset Information

Self-Rated Health by Sexual Orientation Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Canada.

Publications

Self-Rated Health by Sexual Orientation Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Canada.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets