Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Orientations as Contexts for Tobacco-Related Health Disparities

• In Event: 043 - Section on Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 04. Social Factors and Substance Use

Abstract

Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. Sexual minorities (lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals), smoke at higher rates than the general population. However, little else is known about sexual minority smokers, especially regarding characteristics associated with negative health effects and difficulty quitting (nicotine dependence, smoking intensity, quit intentions, and receptivity to cigarette advertising). Furthermore, the sexual minority population is diverse and little research exists to determine whether subgroups, such as lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals, are at varying risk for cigarette use or report varied smoker characteristics. In this study, we examine differences in smoking characteristics (tobacco advertising receptivity, age of first cigarette, smoking intensity, nondaily smoking, nicotine dependence, desire to quit, and quit attempts) among lesbians, gay men, and female and male bisexual adults in the U.S. using data from CDC’s 2009-2010 National Adult Tobacco Survey (N=118,590). This is the first national study adequately powered to examine differences in smoking characteristics across sexual minority subgroups. Results show that controlling for demographic factors, identifying as bisexual is associated with nicotine dependence (aOR=1.74, p<.01), cigarettes per day (coef.=2.57, p<.05), age at first cigarette (coef.=-0.94, p<.05), and receptivity to cigarette advertising (aOR=1.92, p<.05) among women. Lesbians, gay men, and bisexual men show no significant associations independent of demographics, suggesting female bisexuals are uniquely at risk for smoking and may need specifically tailored interventions.

Authors

• Amanda Fallin, University of California-San Francisco

• Amie Goodin, University of Kentucky

• Youn Ok Lee, RTI International

• Keisa Bennett, University of Kentucky