Health Concordance among Same-sex and Different-sex Couples: Evidence from the National Health Interview Survey (1997-2015)

• In Event: 582 - Section on the Sociology of the Family. Families, Health, and Well-being

Abstract

Research on the health of couples has largely overlooked same-sex couples and focuses heavily on different-sex spouses; this leaves a gap in knowledge about the ways in which other couples experience health. This paper addresses this gap with a multipart analysis. First, different-sex spouses, same-sex male couples, same-sex female couples, and different-sex cohabitors are compared on their bivariate odds of being concordant in self-rated health and activity limitations. Second, multivariate regressions estimate the differences in health concordance between couples and within-group differences by race and social class. Third, multilevel models investigate how partners influence each other’s health using an actor-partner interdependence model (APIM). The between-couple comparisons suggest same-sex female couples have higher odds of being discordant and concordant in poor health, rather than concordant in good health, relative to other couples. Same-sex male couples are more discordant and concordant in poor outcomes, relative to being concordant in good health, than different-sex spouses, but have advantages compared to same-sex female couples and different-sex cohabitors. Within-couple comparisons revealed that class is associated with health concordance more than age, race, or nativity status. APIM revealed that the socioeconomic characteristics of one’s partner affect an individual’s health. Sexual minority stress and stress proliferation are discussed as possible explanations for why same-sex female couples have higher rates of discordance and poor health concordance than other couples.

Author

• Russell Leroy Spiker, University of Cincinnati