Asthma disparities and within-group differences in a national, probability sample of same-sex partnered adults

J.R. Blosnich, J.G.L. Lee, R. Bossarte and V.M.B. Silenzio

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue 9, e83-e87

Abstract: Objectives. We examined the prevalence and correlates of self-reported lifetime diagnosis of asthma and current asthma among same-sex and oppositesex partnered adults. Methods. Data were from the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, in which same-sex partnership was a response option to a family planning item in the core questionnaire. Self-reported lifetime diagnosis of asthma and current asthma were examined in logistic regression models adjusted for demographic characteristics and asthma-related confounding factors and stratified by both gender and same-sex partnership status. Results. Significantly higher proportions of same-sex partnered male and female respondents reported lifetime and current asthma compared with their opposite-sex partnered peers. In adjusted analyses, same-sex partnership status remained significantly associated with asthma outcomes among men and women, with odds ratios ranging from 1.57 to 2.34. Conclusions. Results corroborated past studies that indicated asthma disproportionately affects sexual minority populations. The addition of sexual minority status questions to federal survey projects is key to further exploring health disparities in this population. Future studies are needed to investigate the etiology of this disparity.

Keywords: adult; article; asthenia; behavioral risk factor surveillance system; female; health disparity; homosexuality; human; lesbianism; male; male homosexuality; marriage; questionnaire; sex difference; statistical model; statistics; United States, Adult; Asthenia; Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; Female; Health Status Disparities; Homosexuality; Homosexuality, Female; Homosexuality, Male; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Marriage; Questionnaires; Sex Factors; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301217_3

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301217

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