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Primary Submission Category: LGBTQ+
Patterns of Food Insecurity by Sexual Orientation and Gender
Authors: Beth Martin, Gabe H. Miller, Christie Caruana, Hannah Lindl, Kayli Morrison,
Presenting Author: Beth Martin*
Background
Existing research on food security has established a disparity for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals in the U.S., compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Several nationally representative studies report that, across the board, LGB individuals are more likely to experience food insecurity than heterosexual individuals. Additionally, women are more likely to experience food insecurity compared to men. Fewer studies have examined intragroup differences in food insecurity for sexual orientation and gender. In this paper, we examine inter- and intragroup differences in food security screening based on sexual orientation and gender.
Methods
To examine food insecurity at the intersection of sexual orientation and gender, we estimate logistic regression models using National Health Interview Survey Data from 2013 to 2024. The independent variable is a cross classification of sexual orientation and gender (straight man, straight woman, gay man, lesbian woman, bisexual man, bisexual woman), and the dependent variable is a binary food-security variable based on individual scores from a 10-question food security screening supplement. We control for a host of sociodemographic and socioeconomic covariates and employ complex survey weights across analysis.
Results
In the final model, straight men had the lowest odds of screening positive for food insecurity, followed by straight women. Gay men, lesbian women, and bisexual men had the second highest odds, but did not differ from each other, and bisexual women had the highest odds of screening positive for food insecurity.
Conclusion
In addition to intergroup differences between straight and LGB individuals, there is evidence for intragroup differences in food insecurity, specifically between bisexual men and women. There is no evidence for intragroup differences between gay men and lesbian women, though they each have higher odds of food insecurity than both straight men and women. These findings highlight the importance of considering intersecting social positions when examining health inequity.