Demographic and health and risk indicators of sexual minority veterans: Results from the 2004 BRFSS

There are over 20 million US Veterans, and different aspects of health and healthcare utilization have been examined along lines of gender, age, and race/ethnicity, but there is limited inquiry into health differences among lesbian, gay, and bisexual (i.e., sexual minority) veterans. This project analyzed data from the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Family Planning Module, which appeared in the BRFSS core questionnaire. Sexual minority status was derived by responses of being in a same-sex relationship (n=1,077). Key outcome variables included characteristics associated with disparities by sexual minority status (e.g., smoking) or veteran status (e.g., firearm ownership). In multivariate models adjusted for demographic covariates, sexual minority veterans had higher odds of not seeking healthcare due to cost of care than their heterosexual veteran counterparts (OR=1.77, 95%CI:1.00-3.11). Compared with sexual minority non-veterans, sexual minority veterans had higher odds of firearm ownership (OR=2.19, 95%CI: 1.31-3.64) and being overweight (OR=1.69, 95%CI:1.09-2.64). Sexual minority veterans have some differences in health indicators that set them apart from both their heterosexual veteran and sexual minority non-veteran counterparts. There is a paucity of research about sexual minority veterans, and data sources in which to examine their health behaviors either do not exist or are hampered by issues of small sample size. Collection of information about sexual minority status in routine federal surveys, such as the National Survey of Veterans, would be a first step in beginning to more accurately assess the health of this minority population.