HEALTH DISPARITIES REVEALED
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aring and Aging with Pride represents the first ever research project to be funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging addressing the aging and health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender adults age 50 and older and their caregivers. In the initial phase of the project, we utilized information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System in Washington State (BRFSS-WA) to assess health disparities by sexual orientation, gender and age. To our surprise, we found that approximately 2% of adults age 50 and older selfidentify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. This is contrary to the popular belief that older sexual minorities will not reveal their sexual orientation in public health surveys. Based on the number of adults age 50 and older living in the U.S., these findings suggest that more than 2 million Americans self-identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual. The proportion of the population age 50 and older is expected to grow tremendously in the next few decades, and the number of LGBT older adults will increase proportionally, more than doubling by 2030. When examining information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS-WA), we found the prevalence of some key health problems is higher among lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults than their heterosexual older adult counterparts, even when accounting for differences in age, income, and education. Lesbians, gay men, bisexual women, and bisexual men age 50 years and older have higher rates of disability and mental distress than their heterosexual peers. Older lesbians and bisexual women have higher rates of cardioThe Aging and Health Report
vascular disease and obesity compared with older heterosexual women, and older gay and bisexual men are more likely than older heterosexual men to experience poor physical health. Important differences in some health behaviors are apparent: lesbian, gay, and bisexual older adults are more likely to smoke and engage in excessive drinking than their heterosexual counterparts. The prevalence of some preventative health screenings also differs. For instance, older lesbians and bisexual women have a lower likelihood of having a mammogram than heterosexual women. See Tables 1.1 and 1.2 for a breakdown of sociodemographic characteristics and key health indicators by sexual orientation and gender. Significant differences within distinct groups of LGBT older adults also emerged. For example, lesbian older adults (10%) are significantly more likely than bisexual older adult women (4%) to engage in excessive drinking. Diabetes is significantly more common among bisexual older adult men (20%)
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