Sexual Minority Identity and Physical Illnesses: Role of Life-Course Victimization and Gender Differences

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Psychology

Background:

• Sexual minority (SM) individuals report higher rates of victimization and chronic physical health conditions.
• Gender differences exist in victimization rates and associated chronic physical health conditions.
• Limited research explores gender differences in SM identity, chronic physical health, and life-course victimization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender differences in the association between sexual minority identity and chronic physical health conditions.
• To examine cumulative life-course victimization, childhood victimization, and adult victimization as pathways linking SM identity to chronic physical health.
• To assess the relative importance of victimization in childhood versus adulthood for these associations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (1994-2018), a nationally representative dataset.
• Analyzed cumulative violence victimization across the life-course.
• Estimated gender differences in pathways between SM identity and chronic physical health conditions via victimization.

Main Results:

• Mostly heterosexual and bisexual women showed increased chronic physical health disparities through cumulative life-course, childhood, and adult victimization.
• Lesbian women exhibited an indirect association between sexual orientation and chronic physical health conditions mediated by cumulative life-course and childhood victimization.

Conclusions:

• Victimization-related chronic physical health vulnerabilities can emerge before mid-life for mostly heterosexual and bisexual women.
• Both childhood and adult victimization are critical factors for physical health disparities in these groups.
• Childhood victimization appears to be a more pervasive factor for chronic physical health conditions among lesbian women.