Michele J Eliason1, Natalie Ingraham2, Sarah C Fogel3, Jane A McElroy4, Jennifer Lorvick5, D Richard Mauery6, Suzanne Haynes7. 1. Department of Health Education, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California. Electronic address: meliason@sfsu.edu. 2. Lyon-Martin Health Services, San Francisco, California. 3. Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, Nashville, Tennessee. 4. Family and Community Medicine Department, University of Missouri, School of Medicine, Columbia, Missouri. 5. Urban Health Program, RTI International, San Francisco, California. 6. Department of Health Policy, George Washington School of Public Health and Health Services, Washington, DC. 7. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health, Washington, DC.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Over the past 20 years, a growing literature has demonstrated that sexual minority women have greater weight than heterosexual women, prompting concern that they may be at high risk for disparities in physical disorders. In 2008, Bowen et al. published a review of the existing research on sexual minority women and obesity, finding no methodologically strong studies with representative sampling procedures. METHOD: We conducted a systematic review of the literature covering the period of July 2006 to February 2014 on the relationship between sexual orientation and weight. The review includes 20 population-based and 17 nonprobability sample studies. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of these studies found that lesbian and bisexual women had significantly greater body mass index (BMI) or a higher percentage with a BMI over 30 than heterosexual women. The difference in BMI was fairly consistent across the lifespan, with the weight differences beginning in adolescence. The studies, however, did not show a higher prevalence of physical disorders thought to be associated with weight. This potentially paradoxical finding warrants further research to compare prevalence of chronic disease by BMI category and sexual orientation.
BACKGROUND: Over the past 20 years, a growing literature has demonstrated that sexual minority women have greater weight than heterosexual women, prompting concern that they may be at high risk for disparities in physical disorders. In 2008, Bowen et al. published a review of the existing research on sexual minority women and obesity, finding no methodologically strong studies with representative sampling procedures. METHOD: We conducted a systematic review of the literature covering the period of July 2006 to February 2014 on the relationship between sexual orientation and weight. The review includes 20 population-based and 17 nonprobability sample studies. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of these studies found that lesbian and bisexual women had significantly greater body mass index (BMI) or a higher percentage with a BMI over 30 than heterosexual women. The difference in BMI was fairly consistent across the lifespan, with the weight differences beginning in adolescence. The studies, however, did not show a higher prevalence of physical disorders thought to be associated with weight. This potentially paradoxical finding warrants further research to compare prevalence of chronic disease by BMI category and sexual orientation.
Authors: Vickie M Mays; Robert-Paul Juster; Timothy J Williamson; Teresa E Seeman; Susan D Cochran Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2018 Jul/Aug Impact factor: 4.312
Authors: Cherrelle L Jones; Jillianne L Fowle; Rimma Ilyumzhinova; Johnny Berona; Kimberley Mbayiwa; Andrea B Goldschmidt; Lindsay P Bodell; Stephanie D Stepp; Alison E Hipwell; Kate E Keenan Journal: Int J Eat Disord Date: 2019-03-18 Impact factor: 4.861
Authors: Billy A Caceres; Kasey B Jackman; Lilian Ferrer; Kenrick D Cato; Tonda L Hughes Journal: Int J Nurs Stud Date: 2019-02-08 Impact factor: 5.837
Authors: Alexandra M Minnis; Diane Catellier; Charlotte Kent; Kathleen A Ethier; Robin E Soler; Wendy Heirendt; Michael T Halpern; Todd Rogers Journal: J Public Health Manag Pract Date: 2016 Jan-Feb