title: Health care utilization and health indicators among a national sample of U.S. veterans in same-sex partnerships.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine health indicators of same-sex partnered veterans as compared with their opposite-sex partnered veteran and nonveteran peers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Same-sex partner status was derived by self-reported same-sex partnerships in data from the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Outcome variables included health risk disparities associated with sexual minority status (e.g., frequent mental distress) and veteran status (e.g., firearm ownership). Stratified multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the association of same-sex partnered veteran status with health indicators.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Same-sex partnered veterans had higher odds of being overweight and keeping firearms in the house compared with same-sex partnered nonveterans. Same-sex partnered veterans were less likely than opposite-sex partnered veterans to be overweight, and they were more than twice as likely to be current smokers when compared with opposite-sex partnered nonveterans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest both that some health disparities patterns identified by same-sex partnership status among the general population also exist among veteran populations, and that some unique distinctions may exist, particularly related to BMI and firearm ownership. Collection of information about sexual minority status within Department of Veterans Affairs data sources is needed to more accurately assess the health of this minority population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, VISN-2 Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention, 400 Fort Hill Avenue, Canandaigua, NY 14424, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Blosnich
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bossarte
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Silenzio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D015438:Health Behavior; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006716:Homosexuality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight; D018454:Spouses; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data