Publication type
Journal Article
Authors
Publication date
October 10, 2024
Summary:
Background: The UK legalised same-sex marriage in 2014. We examine whether same-sex marriage legalisation (SSML), an exogenous policy change, affected the health outcomes among ethnic minority lesbian, gay, bisexual and other (LGB+) individuals.
Methods: Using the UK Household Longitudinal Survey, we applied the Callaway and Sant’Anna difference-in-differences to compare physical and mental health across (a) ethnic LGB+ individuals (treatment group), (b) ethnic heterosexual individuals (control group 1) and (c) British white LGB+ individual (control group 2). The study cohort (n=7054) comprised individuals aged 16+ years at baseline in 2011, and were employed in the study period (2011–2019). The outcomes included physical component scores from the short-form 12 health survey (physical component score (PCS-12)), long-standing illnesses and psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)).
Results: After SSML, the PCS-12 among the ethnic LGB+ individuals improved significantly compared with both ethnic heterosexuals and British white LGB+ individuals (2.081, 95% CI 0.487 to 3.675). While no clear patterns were found for long-standing illnesses, the GHQ in the treatment group had modest decreases relative to ethnic heterosexuals, and relative to British white LGB+ individuals, by year 2 after SSML.
Conclusion: SSML in the UK led to improved physical functioning and reduced psychological distress in ethnic minority LGB+ individuals. Our study shows that ethnic LGB+ individuals may derive even greater health benefits than British white LGB+ people, providing evidence that SSML may help address racial health inequalities within LGB+ communities. As countries worldwide consider legalising same-sex marriage, it is imperative for policymakers to consider the health consequences for sexual and ethnic minorities.
Published in
Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2024-222651
ISSN
143005
Subjects
Notes
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
Online Early
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