Sexual orientation and health -: Comparisons in the Women's Health Initiative sample
Sexual orientation and health -: Comparisons in the Women's Health Initiative sample
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DOI：
10.1001/archfami.9.9.843
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发表时间：
2000-09-01
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Carter, RA
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Valanis, BG;Bowen, DJ;Carter, RA
背景：对老年女同性恋和双性恋妇女知之甚少。现有的研究很少将这些女性的特征与可比的异性恋女性进行比较。目的：比较50至79岁的异性恋和非异性恋女性的特定人口统计学特征、心理社会风险因素、筛查实践以及其他与发展特定疾病或疾病结局风险增加相关的健康相关行为。设计：分析了93311名参与妇女健康倡议（WHI）绝经后妇女健康研究的参与者的数据，比较了5个群体的特征：异性恋者、双性恋者、终身女同性恋者、成年女同性恋者和成年后从未发生过性行为的人。受试者是在全国40个WHI研究中心招募的，代表了一系列地理和种族的多样性。参与者：年龄在50至79岁之间的绝经后妇女，符合WHI资格标准，签署了知情同意书参加WHI临床试验或观察。研究，并回答了有关性取向的基线问题。主要结果指标：人口统计学特征、心理社会风险因素、筛查测试的最近程度以及WHI基线问卷评估的其他健康相关行为。结果：虽然女同性恋和双性恋的社会经济地位高于异性恋，但她们更经常喝酒和抽烟，显示出生殖系统癌症和心血管疾病的其他风险因素，并且在心理健康和社会支持方面得分较低。值得注意的是，35%的女同性恋者和81%的双性恋妇女曾怀孕。妇女报告说，他们从来没有发生性行为作为一个成年人有较低的巴氏筛查和激素替代疗法的使用率比其他groups.Conclusions：这个样本的老年女同性恋和双性恋妇女WHI显示许多相同的健康行为，人口统计学和心理社会风险因素的文献报道，为他们的年轻同行，尽管他们较高的社会经济地位和获得医疗保健。与异性恋妇女相比，这些妇女接受推荐筛查服务的比率较低，肥胖、吸烟、饮酒的患病率较高，水果和蔬菜的摄入量较低，这表明需要保健提供者和非异性恋妇女之间进行有效互动的需求未得到满足。
Context: Little is known about older lesbian and bisexual women. Existing research rarely compares characteristics of these women with comparable heterosexual women.Objective: To compare heterosexual and nonhetero-sexual women 50 to 79 years on specific demographic characteristics, psychosocial risk factors, screening practices, and other health-related behaviors associated with increased risk for developing particular diseases or disease outcomes.Design: Analysis of data from 93311 participants in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study of health in postmenopausal women, comparing characteristics of 5 groups: heterosexuals, bisexuals, lifetime lesbians, adult lesbians, and those who never had sex as an adult.Setting: Subjects were recruited at 40 WHI study centers nationwide representing a range of geographic and ethnic diversity.Participants: Postmenopausal women aged 50 to 79 years who met WHI eligibility criteria, signed an informed consent to participate in the WHI clinical trial(s) or observational. study, and responded to the baseline questions on sexual orientation.Main Outcome Measures: Demographic characteristics, psychosocial risk factors, recency of screening tests, and other health-related behaviors as assessed on the WHI baseline questionnaire.Results: Although of higher socioeconomic status than the heterosexuals, the lesbian and bisexual women more often used alcohol and cigarettes, exhibited other risk factors for reproductive cancers and cardiovascular disease, and scored lower on measures of mental health and social support. Notable is the 35% of lesbians and 81% of bisexual women who have been pregnant. Women reporting that they never had sex as an adult had lower rates of Papanicolaou screening and hormone replacement therapy use than other groups.Conclusions: This sample of older lesbian and bisexual women from WHI shows many of the same health behaviors, demographic, and psychosocial risk factors reported in the literature for their younger counterparts, despite their higher socioeconomic status and access to health care. The lower rates of recommended screening services and higher prevalence of obesity, smoking, alcohol use, and lower intake of fruit and vegetables among these women compared with heterosexual women indicate unmet needs that require effective interactions between care providers and nonheterosexual women.