Department of Public Health, Copenhagen University, 1356 Copenhagen, Denmark.
Department of Geography and Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jan 25;19(3):1329. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19031329.
Research has found that sexual minority individuals are more likely to experience health inequalities and have higher rates of substance use compared with their heterosexual counterparts. This association between sexuality and health outcomes is increasingly being explored using quantitative methodologies within the context of public health, psychology and health geography. Much of this research, however, has relied on primary data, despite the wide availability of secondary sources, mainly survey data, collecting information on sexuality and different types of health outcomes and health risk behaviours, such as substance use. This study reviewed recent surveys in the UK that are appropriate for exploring topics related to LGB populations and substance use behaviours. We carried out a narrative review of secondary data sources in the UK to assess the accessibility and suitability of secondary sources for sexuality and substance use research. We identified eight cross-sectional and two longitudinal surveys that contained both sexuality and substance use data. We summarised the possible applications of each survey and the scope of questions within sexuality and substance use research that could be addressed by each survey. The identification of appropriate surveys in this review can allow researchers to extend the use of secondary data sources in the UK to examine substance use inequalities between sexuality groups, further advancing this key topic.
研究发现，与异性恋者相比，性少数群体更有可能经历健康不平等，并具有更高的物质使用率。这种性与健康结果之间的关联越来越多地在公共卫生、心理学和健康地理学的背景下使用定量方法进行探讨。然而，尽管有大量的二手资料，主要是调查数据，收集有关性取向和不同类型的健康结果和健康风险行为（如物质使用）的信息，但这些研究中的大多数都依赖于原始数据。本研究回顾了英国最近适合探讨与 LGB 人群和物质使用行为相关主题的调查。我们对英国的二手资料来源进行了叙述性综述，以评估二手资料来源在性取向和物质使用研究方面的可及性和适用性。我们确定了八项横断面和两项纵向调查，其中包含性取向和物质使用数据。我们总结了每项调查的可能应用以及每项调查可以解决的性取向和物质使用研究中与问题相关的范围。本综述中适当调查的确定可以让研究人员在英国扩展使用二手资料来源，以研究性取向群体之间的物质使用不平等现象，从而进一步推进这一关键主题。
