Center for Healthy Aging, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
Arch Sex Behav. 2019 Jan;48(1):291-303. doi: 10.1007/s10508-018-1151-5. Epub 2018 Mar 22.
The number of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adults aged 50 and older is projected to reach 5 million in the U.S. by 2030 (Fredriksen-Goldsen, Kim, Shiu, Goldsen, & Emlet, 2015). Older bisexuals experience more negative mental and physical health outcomes when compared to both heterosexuals and other sexual minorities (Fredriksen-Goldsen, Shiu, Bryan, Goldsen, & Kim, 2017). As bisexuals are the numeric majority of sexual minorities in the U.S. (Herbenick et al., 2010), bisexual aging processes are critical to understand if researchers wish to reduce sexual minority health disparities and promote healthy aging. In the current study, we use a national probability sample of adults from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study to assess life satisfaction across an 18-year period. We aimed to identify whether life satisfaction-an indicator of psychological health and well-being-is similar for same-age bisexual, lesbian and gay, and heterosexual midlife individuals, and whether sexual orientation predicts change in life satisfaction across adulthood. Further, we tested whether life satisfaction among bisexuals changes at the same rate and in the same pattern as for lesbian, gay, and heterosexual individuals. Overall, we found a linear pattern of increase in life satisfaction across adulthood. However, when we accounted for sexual orientation, a different pattern emerged for bisexuals. Whereas heterosexuals and lesbian and gay individuals experienced increases in life satisfaction across adulthood, bisexuals' life satisfaction did not increase over this period. Implications for bisexual health and well-being are discussed.
预计到 2030 年，美国 50 岁及以上的同性恋、双性恋和双性人（LGB）成年人的数量将达到 500 万（Fredriksen-Goldsen、Kim、Shiu、Goldsen 和 Emlet，2015 年）。与异性恋者和其他性少数群体相比，年长的双性恋者经历更多的负面心理和身体健康结果（Fredriksen-Goldsen、Shiu、Bryan、Goldsen 和 Kim，2017 年）。由于双性恋者是美国性少数群体中的多数（Herbenick 等人，2010 年），如果研究人员希望减少性少数群体的健康差距并促进健康老龄化，那么了解双性恋者的老龄化过程至关重要。在当前的研究中，我们使用美国中年生活（MIDUS）研究中的全国成年人概率样本来评估 18 年期间的生活满意度。我们旨在确定生活满意度（心理健康和幸福的指标）是否与同年龄的双性恋、女同性恋和男同性恋以及异性恋中年个体相似，以及性取向是否预测成年期生活满意度的变化。此外，我们测试了双性恋者的生活满意度是否以与女同性恋、男同性恋和异性恋者相同的速度和模式发生变化。总体而言，我们发现生活满意度在成年期呈线性增长。然而，当我们考虑到性取向时，双性恋者出现了不同的模式。异性恋者和女同性恋者和男同性恋者的生活满意度在成年期有所增加，而双性恋者的生活满意度在此期间并没有增加。讨论了双性恋者的健康和幸福的影响。
