Adding Sexual Orientation Questions to Statewide Public Health Surveillance: New Mexico's Experience

Abstract

We examined refusal rates for sensitive demographic questions to determine whether questions on sexual orientation are too sensitive for routine use on public health surveys. We compared the percentage of active refusals in New Mexico for a sexual orientation question and 6 other sensitive demographic questions. In 2007 and 2008, refusal rates for sexual orientation questions were similar to rates for questions on race/ethnicity and weight and significantly lower than rates for questions on household income. Perceptions that sexual orientation is too controversial a topic to be included on state surveys may be unfounded.

Correlates of current menthol cigarette and flavored other tobacco product use among U.S. young adults

“…33,34 Sexual identity was assessed using the following item 35 , “Do you consider yourself to be (mark only one)”: choices were adapted to include “transgender” as follows: “heterosexual or straight,” “homosexual or gay/lesbian,” “bisexual,” “transgender,” “other,” “don’t know/not sure.” The variable was dichotomized into two groups: heterosexual/straight and LGBT. Sensation seeking is psychological construct related to risk-taking which has been associated with a variety of substance use behaviors including tobacco use.…”

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“…For example, in New Mexico BRFSS, adults aged 18 and older are also less likely to refuse to answer on sexual orientation measures compared to income (VanKim et al, 2010). In the Nurses’ Health Study II, less than 1% of adult women refused to respond to sexual orientation measures, and the refusal to answer such questions did not result in the refusal to complete the remaining survey questions (Case et al, 2006).…”

“…In order to respond to the growing needs of LGBT adults, including LGBT older adults, it is imperative that quality data on both sexual orientation and gender identity be collected and that age restrictions be eliminated. Both New Mexico BRFSS in 2009 (VanKim & Padilla, 2010) and Massachusetts BRFSS in 2010 (Interuniversity Consortium for Political and Social Research News, 2010), for example, removed the previous age-based restriction of 64 years on the sexual orientation questions and also began collecting data on gender identity.…”

“…While the inclusion of sexual orientation measures in public health surveys has provided evidence that young and middle-aged adults respond to sexual orientation questions (Ridolfo, Miller, & Maitland, 2012; VanKim, Padilla, Lee, & Goldstein, 2010), to what extent older adults respond to these questions is not yet known.…”

“…For example, in a state-based health survey, only adults aged 18–64 were asked about sexual orientation measures based on the following rationale: “Surveyors reported that some older respondents seemed confused when asked the sexual orientation measure. A significantly higher percentage of adults aged 65 and older responded ‘don’t know”’ (VanKim et al, 2010, p. 2393). The Williams Institute concludes “surveys that include sexual orientation measures are focused primarily on middle-aged adults” (The Sexual Minority Assessment Research Team, 2009, p. 27).…”