TABLE 1.
Participants' Demographic and Health Characteristics, by Sexual Orientation: Massachusetts Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2001–2008
| Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual (n = 2271), No. (%) or Mean ±SD | Heterosexual (n = 65 088), No. (%) or Mean ±SD | |
| Age, y | ||
| 18–24 | 194 (20.7) | 4210 (12.3) |
| 25–34 | 385 (20.3) | 11 660 (19.8) |
| 35–44 | 668 (28.6) | 16 616 (28.5) |
| 45–54 | 644 (18.7) | 17 542 (22.8) |
| 55–64 | 380 (11.7) | 15 060 (16.8) |
| Gender | ||
| Men | 1120 (50.3) | 25 387 (49.5) |
| Women | 1151 (49.7) | 39 701 (50.5) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| White, non-Hispanic | 1877 (81.0) | 51 962 (81.5) |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 117 (5.0) | 3422 (4.5) |
| Hispanic | 178 (10.0) | 6689 (8.5) |
| Asian/Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian, or American Indian | 84 (4.0) | 2535 (5.5) |
| Educational level | ||
| College | 1286 (51.5) | 28 320 (47.0) |
| Some college | 512 (25.2) | 15 504 (23.3) |
| High school or equivalent | 351 (18.1) | 15 944 (23.7) |
| < high school | 121 (5.3) | 5239 (6.0) |
| History of asthma diagnosis | ||
| No | 1794 (79.2) | 54 617 (84.3) |
| Yes | 470 (20.8) | 10 336 (15.7) |
| Cigarette smoking | ||
| Never | 949 (45.5) | 33 742 (56.9) |
| Current/former | 1322 (54.5) | 31 346 (43.1) |
| Area of residence | ||
| Rural | 248 (20.6) | 8336 (22.7) |
| Urban | 2019 (79.4) | 56 711 (77.3) |
| Weight category | ||
| Normal | 946 (49.2) | 24 456 (41.2) |
| Underweight | 46 (1.5) | 970 (1.4) |
| Overweight | 728 (31.0) | 21 788 (36.4) |
| Obese | 469 (18.3) | 13 721 (21.0) |
| Current primary care provider | ||
| No | 272 (17.2) | 7319 (12.6) |
| Yes | 1994 (82.8) | 57 646 (87.4) |
| Symptoms of anxiety | ||
| No | 601 (69.9) | 16 362 (80.2) |
| Yes | 239 (30.1) | 5056 (19.8) |
| Symptoms of depression | ||
| No | 529 (80.2) | 13 038 (84.0) |
| Yes | 148 (19.8) | 2954 (16.0) |
| Hours of secondhand smoke exposure in past 7 d | 2.89 ±211.4 | 1.66 ±160.4 |
Note. Counts are unweighted, and percentages and means are weighted.