Report

Distribution and Prevalence of Health in a National Probability Sample of Three Cohorts of Sexual Minority Adults in the United States

August 2022

Using data from the Generations Study, this report examines a representative sample of LGBQ people in the U.S. from three age groups—young (18-25), middle (34-41), and older (52-59)—to assess how physical and mental health indicators differed among the three generations. It appeared in LGBT Health in July 2022.

AUTHORS
  • Stephen T. Russell
    Professor, University of Texas, Austin
  • Allen B. Mallory
    Postdoctorate Fellow, University of Ohio
  • Jessica N. Fish
    Assistant Professor, University of Maryland
  • David M. Frost
    Associate Professor, University College London
  • Phillip M. Hammack
    Professor, UCSC
  • Marguerita Lightfoot
    Professor of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine
  • Andy Lin
    Supervisor, Statistical Consulting Group, UCLA
  • Bianca D.M. Wilson
    Senior Scholar of Public Policy, Former
  • Ilan H. Meyer
    Distinguished Senior Scholar of Public Policy
Highlights
Younger LGBQ adults are physically healthier but have worse psychological distress than older LGBQ people.
Bisexual people reported more drug abuse and less happiness, social well-being, and life satisfaction compared with gay and lesbian people.
Nonbinary people reported worse general health, more psychological distress, and less social well-being compared to women.

Please contact our communications office to request a copy of this study or visit the journal.

Distribution and Prevalence of Health in a National Probability Sample of Three Cohorts of Sexual Minority Adults in the United States