Sexual Orientation and Obesity: Test of a Gendered Biopsychosocial Model

性取向和肥胖：性别生物心理社会模型的测试肥胖是当今影响美国的最关键的公共卫生问题之一。肥胖的决定因素、分布和后果方面的种族和社会经济差异正受到越来越多的关注;然而，一个刚刚开始被认识到的领域是性别和性取向在肥胖差异中的惊人相互作用。现在已经确定的是，少数性取向的女性不成比例地受到肥胖流行病的影响，近四分之三的成年女同性恋者超重或肥胖，而异性恋女性只有一半。与此形成鲜明对比的是，在男性中，异性恋男性患肥胖症的风险几乎是同性恋男性的两倍。尽管描述性流行病学研究有明确的证据表明，性取向和性别显着模式肥胖的差异，几乎没有前瞻性的，分析性的流行病学研究，这些差异的原因。除非我们像我们计划的那样首先回答有关因果途径的基本问题，否则就不可能制定循证预防干预措施。我们的研究不仅对性少数群体而且对异性恋者都有很高的公共卫生影响潜力，因为我们试图揭示性别社会化过程如何加剧性少数女性和异性恋男性的肥胖风险。作为对PA-07-409“不同人群的健康研究”的回应，我们将严格测试我们的创新性别生物心理社会模型，该模型是多层次和多系统的，以解释观察到的肥胖性取向差异。我们将使用来自三个青年队列的纵向重复测量调查数据和生物数据：今日成长研究（GUTS）1和2以及国家青少年健康纵向研究（Add Health），所有正在进行的前瞻性队列总计超过47，000名生活在美国的青年。 公共卫生相关性：肥胖是当今影响美国最关键的公共卫生问题之一。肥胖的种族和社会经济差异正受到越来越多的关注;然而，一个刚刚开始被认识到的差异领域是性别和性取向的惊人相互作用。少数性取向的女性受肥胖流行病的影响不成比例，近四分之三的女同性恋者超重或肥胖，而异性恋女性的这一比例为一半。此外，异性恋男性的肥胖风险几乎是同性恋男性的两倍。随着大量的负担和明显的性别改变，这些差异具有高度的公共卫生意义。作为对PA-07-409的回应，我们将严格测试我们的创新性别生物心理社会模型，以解释肥胖的性取向差异，并使用来自三个国家青年队列的前瞻性、重复测量调查数据和生物数据。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant: Sexual Orientation and Obesity: Test of a Gendered Biopsychosocial Model Obesity is one of the most critical public health issues affecting the U.S. today. Racial and socioeconomic disparities in the determinants, distribution, and consequences of obesity are receiving increasing attention; however, one area that is only beginning to be recognized is the striking interplay of gender and sexual orientation in obesity disparities. It is now well-established that women of minority sexual orientation are disproportionately affected by the obesity epidemic, with nearly three-quarters of adult lesbians overweight or obese, compared to half of heterosexual women. In stark contrast, among men, heterosexual males have nearly double the risk of obesity compared to gay males. Despite clear evidence from descriptive epidemiologic research that sexual orientation and gender markedly pattern obesity disparities, there is almost no prospective, analytic epidemiologic research into the causes of these disparities. It will be impossible to develop evidence-based preventive interventions unless we first answer basic questions about causal pathways, as we plan to do. Our study has high potential for public health impact not only for sexual minorities but also for heterosexuals, as we seek to uncover how processes of gender socialization may exacerbate obesity risk in both sexual minority females and heterosexual males. In response to PA-07-409 "Health Research with Diverse Populations," we will rigorously test our innovative gendered biopsychosocial model that is both multilevel and multisystem to explain observed sexual orientation disparities in obesity. We will use longitudinal, repeated measures survey data and also biological data from three youth cohorts: Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) 1 & 2 and National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), all ongoing prospective cohorts that together total over 47,000 youth living throughout the United States. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Obesity is one of the most critical public health issues affecting the U.S. today. Racial and socioeconomic disparities in obesity are receiving increasing attention; however, one area of disparities that is only beginning to be recognized is the striking interplay of gender and sexual orientation. Women of minority sexual orientation are disproportionately affected by the obesity epidemic, with nearly three-quarters of lesbians overweight or obese, compared to half of heterosexual women. In addition, heterosexual men have almost double the obesity risk as gay men. With both substantial burden and pronounced gender modification now documented, these disparities are of high public-health significance. In response to PA-07-409, we will rigorously test our innovative gendered biopsychosocial model to explain sexual orientation disparities in obesity with prospective, repeated measures survey data and biological data from three national youth cohorts.