Health-Related Quality of Life Among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Adults: The Burden of Health Disparities in 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures assess the burdens imposed by mental and physical health problems. We studied whether HRQoL disparities existed among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults. We examined HRQoL of LGB and heterosexual adults in 25 states ( = 195,378) using data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey. We examined the number of days that mental or physical health was not good and days with activity limitations. We also examined frequent (≥14 days per month) mental and physical distress, frequent activity limitations (FALs), and general health status. Chi-square, linear regression, and logistic regression analyses were performed. LGB adults reported significantly more days that their mental health was not good compared with heterosexual adults. Lesbian and bisexual females reported significantly more days with activity limitations than did heterosexual females. Bisexual females reported significantly more days that their physical health was not good; gay males reported significantly fewer days that their physical health was not good. Furthermore, gay and bisexual adults had significantly higher odds of reporting frequent mental distress (FMD). Specifically, gay and bisexual males had 1.6 and 1.7 higher odds of reporting FMD. Bisexual females had higher odds of reporting FMD (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.67), frequent physical distress (AOR = 1.32), FAL (AOR = 1.78), and poor or fair health (AOR = 1.55), compared with heterosexual females. These HRQoL analyses documented notable burdens of health disparities across sexual orientation identity, especially among bisexual females.