The Measurement of Sexual Orientation in Surveys: Identity, Attraction, and Health

• In Event: 2184 - Section on Medical Sociology Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 17. Sexuality and Sexual Health

Abstract

The measurement of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in surveys has gained increasing interest among survey practitioners and academic researchers, with the understanding that good data are needed to understand the range of issues surrounding--and to simply enumerate--some of the more vulnerable and marginalized populations in our society. Sexual orientation is comprised of a constellation of factors: identity, attraction, and behavior. Much of the focus in recent survey data collection efforts is on incorporating questions about sexual identity, e.g., “Do you consider yourself to be heterosexual, that is, straight, lesbian or gay, or bisexual?” In addition, public health research examines sexual behaviors as a determinant of health that is distinct from a claimed identity. However, we know little about how the other feature of sexual orientation—sexual attraction—is associated with health outcomes.

The current study examines how both sexual identity and attraction are associated with self-rated health and major depressive episodes and whether these associations vary by gender. Data come from the 2015 and 2016 waves of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The effects of sexual identity and attraction on health outcomes are attenuated yet significant when the other is controlled. Furthermore, some of the effects of identity and attraction vary by gender. Overall, the results indicate that sexual identity and sexual attraction are related yet distinct facets of sexual orientation that are independent predictors of health, net of each other and a range of sociodemographic covariates.

Author

• Dana Garbarski, Loyola University-Chicago