title: Health disparities among young adult sexual minorities in the U.S.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emerging research suggests that young adult sexual minorities (identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual or engaging in same-sex attractions or behaviors) experience poorer health than their majority counterparts, but many measures of health inequity remain unexamined in population-based research.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe a wide range of health status and healthcare access characteristics of sexual minorities in comparison with those of the majority population in a national sample of U.S. young adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses of Wave IV data (2008) from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (participants aged 24-32 years, n=13,088) were conducted. Health measures were self-rated health; diagnosis of any of several physical or mental illnesses or sexually transmitted infections; measured BMI; depression classified from self-reported symptoms; use of antidepressant and anxiolytic medication; uninsured; forgone care; and receipt of physical, dental, and psychological services. Analyses were conducted in 2012-2013.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sexual minority women had elevated odds of most adverse health conditions and lower odds of receiving a physical or dental examination. Sexual minority men had elevated odds of fewer adverse health conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young adult sexual minorities are at higher risk of poor physical and mental health. The results highlight the multidimensionality of sexual minority status and respond to calls for greater understanding of the health of this population.
authors.affiliation: Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Electronic address: kstrutz@epi.msu.edu.
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Strutz
authors.affiliation: Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Amy H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Herring
authors.affiliation: Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
authors.forename: Carolyn Tucker
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Halpern
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001727:Bisexuality / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D018452:Homosexuality, Female / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018451:Homosexuality, Male / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D054525:Minority Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult