Sexual Orientation Disparities in Cancer-related Risk Behaviors of Tobacco, Alcohol, Sexual Behaviors, and Diet and Physical Activity: Pooled Youth Risk Behavior Surveys

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2013 Dec 17

PMID 24328632

Citations 87

Authors

Margaret Rosario

Heather L Corliss

Bethany G Everett

Sari L Reisner

S Bryn Austin

Francisco O Buchting

Michelle Birkett

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined sexual orientation disparities in cancer-related risk behaviors among adolescents.

Methods: We pooled data from the 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. We classified youths with any same-sex orientation as sexual minority and the remainder as heterosexual. We compared the groups on risk behaviors and stratified by gender, age (< 15 years and > 14 years), and race/ethnicity.

Results: Sexual minorities (7.6% of the sample) reported more risk behaviors than heterosexuals for all 12 behaviors (mean = 5.3 vs 3.8; P < .001) and for each risk behavior: odds ratios (ORs) ranged from 1.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2, 1.4) to 4.0 (95% CI = 3.6, 4.7), except for a diet low in fruit and vegetables (OR = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.5, 0.8). We found sexual orientation disparities in analyses by gender, followed by age, and then race/ethnicity; they persisted in analyses by gender, age, and race/ethnicity, although findings were nuanced.

Conclusions: Data on cancer risk, morbidity, and mortality by sexual orientation are needed to track the potential but unknown burden of cancer among sexual minorities.

Citing Articles

Disparities in Tobacco use and cravings among sexual and gender minority adolescents in the United States.

Azagba S, Ebling T, de Silva G Prev Med Rep. 2025; 50:102993.

PMID: 39967808 PMC: 11833353. DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.102993.

Tobacco, cannabis, alcohol, and polysubstance use disparities among sexual identity groups of US young adult women and men.

Vogel E, Romm K, Berg C Addict Behav Rep. 2024; 20:100571.

PMID: 39691282 PMC: 11650318. DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2024.100571.

Sexual Orientation and Adolescent Health Outcomes: A Latent Profile Approach.

Fernandez A, Ochoa L, Lozano A, Lee T, Estrada Y, Tapia M Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers. 2024; 11(3):508-516.

PMID: 39600542 PMC: 11588295. DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000615.

Latent classes of adolescent health behaviour, social covariates and mental wellbeing: a longitudinal birth cohort study.

Knowles C, Thornton E, Petersen K, Lereya S, Humphrey N BMC Public Health. 2024; 24(1):2538.

PMID: 39294698 PMC: 11409474. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-20004-y.

Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure in homes and vehicles in youth: disparities among racial, and sexual and gender minorities.

Talluri R, Shete S, Shastri S, Shete S Front Public Health. 2024; 12:1370552.

PMID: 39109147 PMC: 11300350. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1370552.

References

Marrazzo J . Barriers to infectious disease care among lesbians. Emerg Infect Dis. 2004; 10(11):1974-8. PMC: 3328998. DOI: 10.3201/eid1011.040467. View

Meyer I . Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychol Bull. 2003; 129(5):674-697. PMC: 2072932. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674. View

Malone P, Northrup T, Masyn K, Lamis D, Lamont A . Initiation and persistence of alcohol use in United States Black, Hispanic, and White male and female youth. Addict Behav. 2011; 37(3):299-305. PMC: 3258351. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.11.010. View

Key T, Allen N, Spencer E, Travis R . The effect of diet on risk of cancer. Lancet. 2002; 360(9336):861-8. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(02)09958-0. View

Staras S, Cook R, Clark D . Sexual partner characteristics and sexually transmitted diseases among adolescents and young adults. Sex Transm Dis. 2009; 36(4):232-8. PMC: 3883137. DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3181901e32. View

Kim J . Targeted human papillomavirus vaccination of men who have sex with men in the USA: a cost-effectiveness modelling analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2010; 10(12):845-52. PMC: 3982926. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(10)70219-X. View

Chen P, Jacobson K . Developmental trajectories of substance use from early adolescence to young adulthood: gender and racial/ethnic differences. J Adolesc Health. 2012; 50(2):154-63. PMC: 3264901. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.05.013. View

Bauer G, Jairam J, Baidoobonso S . Sexual health, risk behaviors, and substance use in heterosexual-identified women with female sex partners: 2002 US National Survey of Family Growth. Sex Transm Dis. 2010; 37(9):531-7. DOI: 10.1097/OLQ.0b013e3181d785f4. View

Rosario M, Schrimshaw E, Hunter J, Gwadz M . Gay-related stress and emotional distress among gay, lesbian, and bisexual youths: a longitudinal examination. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2002; 70(4):967-75. DOI: 10.1037//0022-006x.70.4.967. View

10.

Munoz N, Castellsague X, Berrington de Gonzalez A, Gissmann L . Chapter 1: HPV in the etiology of human cancer. Vaccine. 2006; 24 Suppl 3:S3/1-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.05.115. View

11.

Palefsky J . Human papillomavirus-related disease in men: not just a women's issue. J Adolesc Health. 2010; 46(4 Suppl):S12-9. PMC: 2871537. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.01.010. View

12.

Bernat D, Klein E, Forster J . Smoking initiation during young adulthood: a longitudinal study of a population-based cohort. J Adolesc Health. 2012; 51(5):497-502. PMC: 3479406. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.02.017. View

13.

Kaminski P, Chapman B, Haynes S, Own L . Body image, eating behaviors, and attitudes toward exercise among gay and straight men. Eat Behav. 2005; 6(3):179-87. DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2004.11.003. View

14.

Conron K, Mimiaga M, Landers S . A population-based study of sexual orientation identity and gender differences in adult health. Am J Public Health. 2010; 100(10):1953-60. PMC: 2936979. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2009.174169. View

15.

Kushi L, Byers T, Doyle C, Bandera E, McCullough M, McTiernan A . American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for cancer prevention: reducing the risk of cancer with healthy food choices and physical activity. CA Cancer J Clin. 2006; 56(5):254-81. DOI: 10.3322/canjclin.56.5.254. View

16.

Winer R, Hughes J, Feng Q, OReilly S, Kiviat N, Holmes K . Condom use and the risk of genital human papillomavirus infection in young women. N Engl J Med. 2006; 354(25):2645-54. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa053284. View

17.

Dunne E, Unger E, Sternberg M, McQuillan G, Swan D, Patel S . Prevalence of HPV infection among females in the United States. JAMA. 2007; 297(8):813-9. DOI: 10.1001/jama.297.8.813. View

18.

Charlton B, Corliss H, Missmer S, Frazier A, Rosario M, Kahn J . Reproductive health screening disparities and sexual orientation in a cohort study of U.S. adolescent and young adult females. J Adolesc Health. 2011; 49(5):505-10. PMC: 3200536. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2011.03.013. View

19.

DSouza G, Kreimer A, Viscidi R, Pawlita M, Fakhry C, Koch W . Case-control study of human papillomavirus and oropharyngeal cancer. N Engl J Med. 2007; 356(19):1944-56. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa065497. View

20.

Buyse S, Nahon S, Tuszynski T, Delas N . Bulimia nervosa as a risk factor for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus?. Am J Gastroenterol. 2003; 98(6):1442-3. DOI: 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2003.07511.x. View