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. 2014 Jun;104(6):e98-e105.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301751. Epub 2014 Apr 17.

A profile of North Carolina lesbian, gay, and bisexual health disparities, 2011

Derrick D Matthews  1 , Joseph G L Lee
Affiliations

A profile of North Carolina lesbian, gay, and bisexual health disparities, 2011

Derrick D Matthews et al. Am J Public Health. 2014 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: We investigated the health profile of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults in North Carolina, the first state in the South to include a measure of sexual orientation identity in a probability-based statewide health survey.

Methods: Using data from 9876 respondents in the 2011 North Carolina Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, we compared sexual minorities to heterosexuals on a variety of health indicators.

Results: LGB respondents were younger and more likely to be reached by cell phone. Many examined indicators were not different by sexual orientation. Significant results, however, were consistent with findings from state population surveys in other regions of the country, including disparities in mental health and, among women, smoking.

Conclusions: Reporting LGB identity in North Carolina is associated with poorer health. The concentration of anti-LGB policies in the South warrants ongoing monitoring of LGB health disparities in North Carolina and in other Southeastern states for potential effects on the health and well-being of LGB populations.

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Figures

FIGURE 1—
FIGURE 1—
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)-specific policies across the United States by region: May 2013.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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