Table 2. Prevalence of Chronic Conditions and Health Limitations and the Association with Sexual Orientation, by Sex, Oregon Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2005–2008.
| Characteristic | Men |
Women |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted % (95% CI) | AORa (95% CI) | P b | Weighted % (95% CI) | AORa (95% CI) | P b | |
| Mental or physical health not good (on ≥7 days during the past 30 days) | ||||||
| Heterosexual (Ref) | 16.5 (15.4–17.7) | — | — | 17.3 (16.5–18.2) | — | — |
| Gay or lesbian | 15.4 (9.9–23.1) | 0.8 (0.5–1.4) | .47 | 15.9 (10.9–22.6) | 1.0 (0.6–1.6) | .96 |
| Bisexual | 17.2 (9.1–29.9) | 1.1 (0.6–2.4) | .73 | 24.6 (18.0–32.6) | 2.0 (1.3–3.1) | <.001 |
| Had cardiovascular diseasec | ||||||
| Heterosexual (Ref) | 8.0 (7.5–8.7) | — | — | 6.2 (5.8–6.6) | — | — |
| Gay or lesbian | 6.0 (3.2–10.8) | 0.9 (0.5–1.7) | .73 | 4.0 (2.1–7.5) | 1.0 (0.5–1.9) | .88 |
| Bisexual | 11.4 (5.8–21.1) | 1.8 (0.8–3.7) | .12 | 1.8 (0.6–6.0) | 0.7 (0.2–2.9) | .61 |
| Had high blood pressure | ||||||
| Heterosexual (Ref) | 27.2 (25.6–28.9) | — | — | 25.6 (24.3–26.8) | — | — |
| Gay or lesbian | 17.9 (10.7–28.2) | 0.6 (0.4–1.1) | .09 | 22.9 (13.8–35.7) | 1.2 (0.6–2.4) | .66 |
| Bisexual | 16.1 (8.0–29.8)d | 0.5 (0.2–1.1) | .09 | 12.4 (7.5–19.9) | 0.9 (0.5–1.7) | .85 |
| Had high cholesterol | ||||||
| Heterosexual (Ref) | 40.2 (38.2–42.2) | — | — | 36.6 (35.1–38.1) | — | — |
| Gay or lesbian | 33.3 (20.2–49.8) | 1.0 (0.5–1.7) | .88 | 42.2 (29.2–56.5) | 1.6 (0.8–3.3) | .19 |
| Bisexual | 37.7 (18.5–61.6)d | 0.8 (0.3–2.0) | .62 | 22.5 (13.5–35.2) | 0.9 (0.5–1.7) | .81 |
| Had diabetes | ||||||
| Heterosexual (Ref) | 6.9 (6.4–7.4) | — | — | 6.5 (6.1–6.8) | — | — |
| Gay or lesbian | 7.8 (4.4–13.5) | 1.3 (0.7–2.5) | .42 | 10.8 (4.0–26.0)d | 2.2 (0.6–7.8) | .22 |
| Bisexual | 2.3 (0.7–7.0) | 0.4 (0.1–1.1) | .08 | 2.4 (1.2–5.0)d | 0.8 (0.4–1.6) | .50 |
| Had asthma | ||||||
| Heterosexual (Ref) | 7.0 (6.4–7.6) | — | — | 12.1 (11.5–12.7) | — | — |
| Gay or lesbian | 9.2 (5.9–14.1) | 1.4 (0.8–2.3) | .20 | 15.4 (10.8–21.7) | 1.2 (0.8–1.9) | .37 |
| Bisexual | 8.5 (4.1–16.8) | 0.9 (0.4–2.0) | .84 | 25.6 (18.6–34.2) | 2.4 (1.5–3.6) | <.001 |
| Had arthritis | ||||||
| Heterosexual (Ref) | 21.8 (20.5–23.0) | — | — | 31.4 (30.3–32.6) | — | — |
| Gay or lesbian | 26.3 (17.0–38.3) | 1.5 (0.8–2.6) | .21 | 42.9 (32.5–53.9) | 2.0 (1.2–3.3) | .005 |
| Bisexual | 14.9 (6.7–29.8) | 0.9 (0.4–1.9) | .71 | 21.4 (14.0–31.2) | 1.4 (0.8–2.6) | .30 |
| Had a disability (limited in activities) | ||||||
| Heterosexual (Ref) | 21.6 (20.8–22.4) | — | — | 24.8 (24.1–25.4) | — | — |
| Gay or lesbian | 26.9 (20.6–34.2) | 1.3 (0.9–1.9) | .23 | 36.6 (29.6–44.3) | 1.9 (1.3–2.6) | <.001 |
| Bisexual | 29.6 (20.7–40.3) | 1.6 (1.0–2.7) | .049 | 34.5 (28.1–41.6) | 2.3 (1.7–3.2) | <.001 |
| Had a disability (need special equipment) | ||||||
| Heterosexual (Ref) | 6.8 (6.4–7.3) | — | — | 7.8 (7.4–8.1) | — | — |
| Gay or lesbian | 6.0 (3.6–9.8) | 0.8 (0.4–1.3) | .36 | 10.0 (4.7–20.0) | 1.5 (0.6–3.8) | .42 |
| Bisexual | 10.8 (6.2–18.2) | 1.8 (1.0–3.3) | .07 | 6.4 (4.3–9.6) | 1.7 (1.1–2.7) | .03 |
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; AOR, adjusted odds ratio; Ref, reference variable; — , not applicable.
a
Odds ratio is adjusted for age, education, relationship status, and urban or rural residency.
b
Calculated using logic regression modeling.
c
Cardiovascular disease included respondents who had ever had a heart attack, angina or coronary heart disease, or a stroke.
d
This number’s coefficient of variance was greater than 30% and therefore may be statistically unreliable and should be interpreted with caution.