At the Intersection: Race/Ethnicity, Sexual Orientation, and Satisfaction with Healthcare

• In Event: 3117 - Health and Health Care among Sexual Minorities

Abstract

This study examines healthcare satisfaction among those who are located at the intersection of racial/ethnic and sexual minority statuses. Utilizing 2013-2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, we rely on Andersen’s behavioral model of health services use to investigate levels of satisfaction with care among a range of groups simultaneously embodying two minority statuses. Based on ordered logistic regression, findings reveal that racial/ethnic disparities exist among heterosexuals, whereby blacks, Asians, and Native Americans have lower odds of reporting higher satisfaction than whites. Among the sexual minority, Native American gays and lesbians consistently show lower odds of reporting higher satisfaction than white heterosexuals, implying that the intersection of racial/ethnic and sexual minority statuses puts them in a particularly less satisfactory healthcare setting than other groups. Further research suggestions include incorporation of psychosocial aspects of healthcare such as interpersonal interactions with healthcare providers that may yield more elaborate analysis of satisfaction with care among minority groups.

Authors

• Min Ju Kim, Rice University

• Kiana Kristine Wilkins, Rice University

• Bridget K. Gorman, Rice University