Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #100510

Martha W. Waller, MA, Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill, School of Public Health, CB# 7445, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7445, (919)967-8998 ext. 31, mwaller@email.unc.edu and Carolyn Tucker Halpern, PhD, Dept. of Maternal & Child Health, School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 401 Rosenau Hall, CB# 7445, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7445.

Purpose: Defining and measuring sexual orientation is critical to understanding its influence on health outcomes. This study examined the differential utility of three indicators of sexual minority status in predicting depressive symptoms in young adulthood. Methods: Data were from Wave III of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), N = 14,322. Depressive symptoms were measured on a continuous scale using 9 items from the CES-D. Constructed categorical measures of sexual orientation were: self-labeled sexual orientation (6 levels), romantic attraction (4 levels), and romantic/sexual relationships (4 levels). Regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between each measure of sexual orientation, individually and combined, and depressive symptoms. Comparison of R² values for each model was examined to ascertain variance accounted for by each indicator. Results: Kappa statistics indicated minimal agreement between indicators of sexual orientation. Individual regression analyses revealed that, compared to self-labeled heterosexuals or respondents reporting only opposite-sex only attractions, self-labeled sexual minorities and individuals with same-sex romantic attractions (exclusive or not) had significantly higher average depressive symptoms after controlling for biological sex, race, and age. Sexual minority relationship variables were not associated with higher mean CES-D scores. The R² did not vary significantly across models. Conclusions: Self-labeled sexual orientation and romantic attraction are both positively associated with depressive symptoms in young adulthood. Both account for minimal, but equal, amounts of variance in symptoms. Sexual orientation may play a less important role in young adult depression than in adolescent depression.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this study presentation, the participant will be able to
• identify three indicators of sexual orientation used in LGBTQ research,
• describe their associations with depression in young adulthood, and
• discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using each measure.

Keywords: Depression, Vulnerable Populations

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.