title: Asthma diagnosis among individuals in same-sex relationships.
abstract: This study examined ever and current asthma diagnosis among persons in same-sex relationships (SSRs) using data from the pooled 1997-2004 National Health Interview Surveys. Among SSRs, 13.5% of men and 14.3% of women reported ever diagnosis of asthma, compared to 7.6% and 10.2% opposite-sex relationship (OSR) men and women. SSRs had higher rates of smoking, stress, and among women, obesity. In regression analyses, male SSRs had a significantly elevated risk of ever asthma diagnosis (adjusted OR = 1.51), while 12-month asthma was elevated among SSR women (adjusted OR = 2.48). SSRs may be at higher risk for asthma due to a spectrum of risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. jeh61@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Julia E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Heck
authors.forename: Judith S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jacobson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012306:Risk; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D014481:United States