Abstract
Obesity is a key public health issue for US youth. Previous research with primarily white samples of youth has indicated that sexual minority females have higher body mass index (BMI) and sexual minority males have lower BMI than their same-gender heterosexual counterparts, with sexual orientation differences in males increasing across adolescence. This research explored whether gender and sexual orientation differences in BMI exist in nonwhite racial/ethnic groups. Using data from Waves I–IV (1995–2009) of the US National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 13,306, ages 11–34 years), we examined associations between sexual orientation and BMI (kg/m2) over time, using longitudinal linear regression models, stratified by gender and race/ethnicity. Data were analyzed in 2013. Among males, heterosexual individuals showed greater one-year BMI gains than gay males across all race/ethnicity groups. Among females, white and Latina bisexual individuals had higher BMI than same-race/ethnicity heterosexual individuals regardless of age; there were no sexual orientation differences in black/African Americans. Sexual orientation disparities in BMI are a public health concern across race/ethnicity groups. Interventions addressing unhealthy weight gain in youth must be relevant for all sexual orientations and race/ethnicities.
Highlights
Obesity is a key public health issue for US youth, among specific sociodemographic groups, including some racial/ethnic and sexual orientation groups [1, 2]
One such study found that among females, white and African American sexual minorities were at increased risk of being overweight compared to same-race/ethnicity heterosexual individuals, whereas among adult males, gay males were less likely than heterosexuals to be overweight among white, African American, Asian, and Latino men [7]
Non-Latina white and Latina bisexual individuals had higher body mass index (BMI) compared to their heterosexual female counterparts, while no sexual orientation differences were observed among non-Latina black/African American females
Summary
Obesity is a key public health issue for US youth, among specific sociodemographic groups, including some racial/ethnic and sexual orientation groups [1, 2]. Previous research in a primarily white cohort of youth and young adults, age 12–23 years, found that sexual minority (nonheterosexually identified) females had higher BMI than heterosexual females throughout adolescence [4], similar to patterns seen in adult females [5]. We are aware of only one study with a representative sample of adolescents examining sexual orientation disparities in BMI in a multiethnic sample, which found that bisexual female and male youth were at elevated risk for obesity compared to Journal of Obesity same-gender heterosexual youth across race/ethnicity groups [9]. No research has explored whether an age-byorientation interaction effect exists in racial/ethnic minority youth
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