Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37964235›Full record

ArticleBMC geriatrics2023

Do sexual minorities believe that they die earlier? Results from a large, representative survey.

André Hajek, Elzbieta Buczak-Stec, Hans-Helmut König

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC geriatrics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Comparison of Views on Aging and Self-Perceptions of Aging Between Dementia Caregivers and Noncaregivers.The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

André HajekDepartment of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. a.hajek@uke.de.
Elzbieta Buczak-StecDepartment of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Hans-Helmut KönigDepartment of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWhile various consequences of belonging to sexual minorities have been examined - it remains completely unclear whether sexual minorities believe that they die earlier. Thus, our aim was to investigate the association between sexual orientation and expected longevity.

methodsData from the German Ageing Survey, a nationally representative sample, were used (year 2014, n = 6,424 individuals; mean age: 63.6 years). It included individuals residing in private households aged 40 years and over in Germany. Sexual orientation (heterosexual; sexual minorities including homosexual, bisexual, or other) served as key independent variable. As outcome, we used the expected life expectancy. In multiple linear regressions it was adjusted for gender, age, education, marital status, labour force participation, BMI, smoking status, alcohol intake, sports activities, physical functioning, self-rated health and the number of chronic conditions.

resultsAdjusting for sociodemographic, lifestyle-related and health-related factors, our study showed that sexual minorities reported a lower expected longevity (β=-0.69, p = .02) compared to heterosexuals. This association remained nearly the same in robustness checks.

conclusionAfter adjusting for various other factors, our findings showed a lower life expectancy among sexual minorities compared to heterosexuals. Efforts are required to make sexual minorities believe in a high life expectancy (e.g., increased optimism or reduced perceived discrimination) - which in turn can help to increase their actual longevity and successful ageing. Future research is required to explore underlying mechanisms (such as expected stigma in later life).

Indexed as

Sexual and Gender MinoritiesAdultFemaleHeterosexualityHumansLife StyleMaleMiddle AgedSexual BehaviorSocial StigmaLGBTPerceived longevitySexual minoritiesSexual orientationSubjective life expectancy

Identifiers

PMID37964235
PMCPMC10648699

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.