Table 1.
Sociodemographic, Drug Use, Mental Illness, and Chronic Disease Characteristics by Sexual Orientation among Adults Age ≥ 50, United States, 2015–2017
| Men | Women | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (n = 11,876) % (SE) |
Hetero-sexual (n = 11,509), % (SE) |
Gay (n = 227) % (SE) |
Bisexual (n = 140) % (SE) |
Total (n = 14,004) % (SE) | Hetero-sexual (n = 13,708) % (SE) |
Lesbian (n = 173) % (SE) |
Bisexual (n = 123) % (SE) |
|
| Survey Year | ||||||||
| 2015 | 33.0 (0.7) | 33.1 (0.7) | 31.0 (4.3) | 32.5 (5.5) | 32.8 (0.5) | 32.7 (0.5) | 33.5 (5.3) | 40.4 (5.1) |
| 2016 | 33.2 (0.5) | 33.2 (0.5) | 35.1 (3.5) | 27.7 (4.4) | 33.3 (0.5) | 33.4 (0.5) | 33.6 (4.8) | 20.7 (4.3) |
| 2017 | 33.8 (0.6) | 33.7 (0.6) | 33.9 (4.6) | 39.8 (5.4) | 33.9 (0.4) | 33.9 (0.4) | 33.0 (4.6) | 39.0 (4.6) |
| Age | ||||||||
| 50–64, y | 58.4 (0.5) b | 58.1 (0.5) | 75.0 (3.3) | 62.1 (5.6) | 54.8 (0.5) b | 54.5 (0.6) | 66.2 (5.5) | 76.3 (4.8) |
| ≥ 65, y | 41.6 (0.5) | 41.9 (0.6) | 25.0 (3.3) | 37.9 (5.6) | 45.2 (0.5) | 45.5 (0.6) | 33.8 (5.5) | 23.7 (4.8) |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||||||||
| White | 74.2 (0.5) | 74.3 (0.5) | 69.9 (4.0) | 66.3 (4.9) | 72.8 (0.6) | 72.7 (0.6) | 81.4 (3.5) | 63.5 (4.6) |
| Black | 9.6 (0.3) | 9.5 (0.3) | 10.3 (2.0) | 11.3 (3.4) | 11.1 (0.4) | 11.1 (0.4) | 7.0 (2.6) | 9.7 (3.4) |
| Hispanic | 10.4 (0.4) | 10.3 (0.4) | 14.8 (3.3) | 10.5 (4.0) | 10.1 (0.4) | 10.1 (0.4) | 6.8 (2.2) | 16.0 (4.1) |
| Asian/Other | 5.9 (0.3) | 5.9 (0.3) | 5.1 (2.6) | 11.8 (4.1) | 6.1 (0.3) | 6.0 (0.3) | 4.8 (2.0) | 10.8 (3.9) |
| Education | ||||||||
| Less than High School | 13.7 (0.4) c | 13.8 (0.4) | 9.8 (2.1) | 11.2 (2.9) | 13.8 (0.4) c | 13.8 (0.4) | 11.3 (2.9) | 18.4 (3.5) |
| High School Diploma | 26.4 (0.5) | 26.8 (0.5) | 11.6 (2.5) | 17.4 (4.0) | 27.1 (0.5) | 27.4 (0.5) | 11.2 (2.9) | 16.4 (3.8) |
| Some College | 25.8 (0.5) | 25.9 (0.6) | 25.9 (3.6) | 20.8 (4.1) | 29.5 (0.5) | 29.4 (0.5) | 33.0 (4.2) | 34.0 (5.1) |
| College Degree | 34.1 (0.6) | 33.5 (0.6) | 52.7 (4.6) | 50.6 (4.1) | 29.7 (0.7) | 29.5 (0.7) | 44.5 (5.0) | 31.3 (4.5) |
| Annual Family Income | ||||||||
| < $20,000 | 13.2 (0.4) a | 13.0 (0.4) | 15.8 (2.5) | 25.9 (4.9) | 17.8 (0.5) | 17.8 (0.5) | 18.5 (4.2) | 18.5 (4.8) |
| $20,000–$49,999 | 28.0 (0.5) | 28.0 (0.5) | 28.3 (4.0) | 28.6 (4.7) | 31.9 (0.5) | 31.9 (0.5) | 28.9 (4.0) | 36.0 (5.6) |
| $50,000–$74,999 | 17.0 (0.4) | 17.0 (0.5) | 21.5 (3.9) | 13.2 (3.6) | 16.4 (0.3) | 16.4 (0.4) | 19.4 (3.2) | 16.2 (4.1) |
| ≥ $75,000 | 41.8 (0.6) | 42.0 (0.6) | 34.4 (4.8) | 32.3 (4.6) | 33.9 (0.5) | 33.9 (0.5) | 33.3 (4.2) | 29.4 (4.6) |
| Relationship Status | ||||||||
| Not Married | 30.7 (0.5) c | 29.6 (0.4) | 75.4 (3.4) | 59.0 (5.2) | 44.4 (0.6) c | 44.0 (0.6) | 63.9 (5.6) | 64.2 (4.3) |
| Married | 69.3 (0.5) | 70.4 (0.4) | 24.6 (3.4) | 41.0 (5.2) | 55.6 (0.6) | 56.0 (0.6) | 36.1 (5.6) | 35.8 (4.3) |
| Government Assistance | 13.7 (0.4) | 13.6 (0.4) | 18.2 (3.5) | 15.5 (3.2) | 17.5 (0.4) | 17.4 (0.4) | 21.2 (4.1) | 25.2 (4.3) |
| Past-Year Drug Use | ||||||||
| Any Past-Year Drug Use | 10.5 (0.3) c | 10.2 (0.3) | 20.9 (4.6) | 20.4 (4.7) | 6.7 (0.2) c | 6.5 (0.2) | 13.1 (2.9) | 27.7 (4.4) |
| Cannabis (unprescribed) | 7.4 (0.3) a | 7.2 (0.3) | 13.4 (4.1) | 14.4 (3.8) | 4.1 (0.2) c | 3.9 (0.2) | 9.2 (3.0) | 21.2 (4.1) |
| Opioids (misuse) | 2.8 (0.2) a | 2.7 (0.2) | 5.6 (1.9) | 5.3 (1.7) | 2.1 (0.1) b | 2.0 (0.1) | 1.8 (1.1) | 6.6 (2.2) |
| Tranquilizers (misuse) | 1.2 (0.1) c | 1.1 (0.1) | 5.4 (2.0) | 4.2 (2.1) | 1.1 (0.1) | 1.1 (0.1) | 2.1 (1.4) | 1.7 (1.2) |
| Illegal Drugs (non-cannabis) | 1.5 (0.1) a | 1.5 (0.1) | 2.7 (1.4) | 4.8 (2.0) | 0.7 (0.1) b | 0.7 (0.1) | 0.8 (0.8) | 4.1 (2.3) |
| Mental Illness (Past Year) | ||||||||
| Mental illness d | 4.8 (0.2) c | 4.5 (0.2) | 9.8 (2.4) | 16.8 (3.4) | 7.9 (0.3) b | 7.8 (0.3) | 8.7 (2.6) | 17.8 (4.3) |
| Chronic Disease | ||||||||
| Asthma | 5.8 (0.3) | 5.7 (0.3) | 8.7 (2.3) | 6.3 (2.8) | 9.8 (0.3) | 9.7 (0.3) | 15.0 (3.3) | 13.1 (3.7) |
| Bronchitis/COPD | 6.0 (0.3) | 6.0 (0.3) | 8.2 (1.9) | 8.6 (2.5) | 9.0 (0.3) a | 8.9 (0.3) | 15.6 (3.9) | 12.0 (3.4) |
| Cancer | 10.7 (0.4) | 10.7 (0.4) | 12.6 (3.1) | 8.1 (2.4) | 12.5 (0.3) | 12.5 (0.4) | 13.2 (3.5) | 13.9 (3.9) |
| Cirrhosis | 0.7 (0.1) | 0.7 (0.1) | 0.8 (0.8) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.4 (0.1) | 0.4 (0.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.0 (1.4) |
| Diabetes | 18.4 (0.5) | 18.4 (0.5) | 19.8 (3.3) | 13.5 (3.0) | 16.8 (0.4) | 16.9 (0.4) | 18.2 (3.4) | 10.9 (2.6) |
| Heart Condition | 22.1 (0.6) | 22.1 (0.5) | 22.4 (3.2) | 23.5 (4.4) | 15.9 (0.4) | 15.9 (0.4) | 12.4 (2.8) | 11.5 (3.2) |
| Hepatitis B/C | 3.0 (0.2) c | 2.8 (0.2) | 13.6 (2.9) | 7.7 (2.6) | 1.5 (0.1) a | 1.4 (0.1) | 2.3 (1.3) | 4.9 (2.0) |
| High Blood Pressure | 31.2 (0.5) | 31.1 (0.5) | 35.7 (3.9) | 29.6 (4.8) | 36.3 (0.5) a | 36.4 (0.5) | 29.5 (3.7) | 27.2 (4.1) |
| HIV/AIDS | 0.3 (0.1) c | 0.7 (0.0) | 12.2 (2.6) | 1.7 (0.9) | 0.1 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) |
| Kidney Disease | 3.3 (0.2) | 3.2 (0.2) | 4.0 (1.8) | 5.3 (2.6) | 3.5 (0.2) | 3.5 (0.2) | 3.1 (1.6) | 3.7 (2.0) |
| 0–1 Chronic Diseases | 74.3 (0.5) b | 74.5 (0.5) | 63.3 (3.9) | 74.7 (4.1) | 73.2 (0.5) | 73.2 (0.5) | 72.8 (4.0) | 74.9 (4.4) |
| Multiple Chronic Diseases | 25.7 (0.5) | 25.5 (0.5) | 36.7 (3.9) | 25.3 (4.1) | 26.8 (0.5) | 26.8 (0.5) | 27.2 (4.0) | 25.1 (4.4) |
White and black participants were identified as non-Hispanic; SE Standard error, COPD Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
aSignificant at P < .05 based on Rao-Scott chi-square test
bSignificant at P < .01 based on Rao-Scott chi-square test
cSignificant at P < .001 based on Rao-Scott chi-square test
dDefined as moderate or severe mental illness based on National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) indicator [19]