Sexual orientation-related differences in tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure among US adults aged 20 to 59 years: 2003-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated sexual orientation-related differences in tobacco use and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in a nationally representative sample of US adults.


METHODS
The 2003-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys assessed 11 744 individuals aged 20 to 59 years for sexual orientation, tobacco use, and SHS exposure (cotinine levels ≥ 0.05 ng/mL in a nonsmoker). We used multivariate methods to compare tobacco use prevalence and SHS exposure among gay or lesbian (n = 180), bisexual (n = 273), homosexually experienced (n = 388), and exclusively heterosexual (n = 10 903) individuals, with adjustment for demographic confounding.


RESULTS
Lesbian and bisexual women evidenced higher rates of tobacco use than heterosexual women. Among nonsmokers, SHS exposure was more prevalent among lesbian and homosexually experienced women than among heterosexual women. Nonsmoking lesbians reported greater workplace exposure and bisexual women greater household exposure than heterosexual women did. Identical comparisons among men were not significant except for lower workplace exposure among nonsmoking gay men than among heterosexual men.


CONCLUSIONS
Nonsmoking sexual-minority women are more likely to be exposed to SHS than nonsmoking heterosexual women. Public health efforts to reduce SHS exposure in this vulnerable population are needed.
Susan D. Cochran is with the Department of Epidemiology, the Fielding School of Public Health, the Department of Statistics, and the BRITE Center, University of California, Los Angeles. Frank C. Bandiera is with the Center for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco. Vickie M. Mays is with the Department of Health Services, the Fielding School of Public Health, the Department of Psychology, and the BRITE Center, University of California, Los Angeles.
Susan D
SD
Cochran
Frank C
FC
Bandiera
Vickie M
VM
Mays
D000328:Adult; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D019529:Sexuality; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution