Generations: A Study of the Life and Health of LGB People in a Changing Society, United States, 2016-2019 (ICPSR 37166)

Time Period(s) View help for Time Period(s)

Date of Collection View help for Date of Collection

Data Collection Notes View help for Data Collection Notes

Study Purpose View help for Study Purpose

The study aimed to assess whether younger cohorts of LGBs (lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals) differed from older cohorts in how they viewed their LGB identity and experienced stress related to prejudice and everyday forms of discrimination, as well as whether patterns of resilience differed between different LGB cohorts. Additionally, the study sought to examine how differences in stress experience affected mental health and well-being, including depressive and anxiety symptoms, substance and alcohol use, and suicide ideation and behavior, and how younger LGBs utilized LGB-oriented social and health services, relative to older cohorts.

Study Design View help for Study Design

Participants were emailed or mailed a survey questionnaire to complete by self-administration (via a web link or printed questionnaire, respectively). Respondents were sent $25 gift certificate. Participants responded to the survey by self-administering the study questionnaire either online via a link provided in an email or on paper via a mailed questionnaire returned in a pre-stamped preaddressed envelope. Participants read an information sheet prior to beginning the survey and consented by filling out the questions and submitting it to the researchers. No signed consent forms were collected because of the self-administered nature of the data collection and because it was determined that a signed consent form, it if were collected, would impose an unnecessary risk to the respondents' confidentiality.

Following this baseline interview, respondents were scheduled to complete two follow up surveys, using the same modality (mail or web) and the same compensation of $25 per interview, one year apart, at Year 2 and Year 3.

Sample View help for Sample

Generations participants were recruited by Gallup Inc., a survey research consulting company, using the Gallup Daily Tracking Survey. The Daily Tracking Survey is a telephone interview of a national probability sample of 1,000 adults ages 18 and older daily (350 days a year). Respondents include English and Spanish-speaking individuals from all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia.

Gallup uses a dual-frame sampling procedure, which includes random-digit dialing (RDD) to reach both landline and cellphone users, as well as an additional random selection method for choosing respondents with landlines. Gallup stratifies the RDD list to ensure that the unweighted samples are proportionate by U.S. Census region and time zone. Gallup weights the data daily to compensate for disproportionalities in non-response and selection probabilities.

The Generations study used a 2-step recruitment procedure. In the first step, utilizing a question asked of all Gallup respondents, all LGBT individuals were identified. The Gallup question to assess sexual orientation and gender identity asked by the phone interviewer is "I have one final question we are asking only for statistical purposes. Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender?"

In the second step, respondents who were thus identified as LGBT were assessed for eligibility for participation in the Generations study and those eligible were invited to participate in Generations.

In total, 366,644 participants were screened by Gallup for inclusion in the Generations study. Of them, 3.5% were identified as LGBT and 27.5% of them were eligible for Generations based on the eligibility criteria. Of those eligible, 80% agreed to participate in the survey and of those, 48% completed the survey. The final Generations baseline sample size was 1,345.

Time Method View help for Time Method

Universe View help for Universe

Adults in the U.S. who identified as LGB (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, or same- gender loving and not transgender), were between the ages 18-25, 34-42, and 48-55, were Black, Latino, or White, had completed 6th grade at least, and spoke English well enough to conduct the phone interview in English.

Unit(s) of Observation View help for Unit(s) of Observation

Data Type(s) View help for Data Type(s)

Mode of Data Collection View help for Mode of Data Collection

Description of Variables View help for Description of Variables

The surveys collected data on personal and community well-being and satisfaction with life; personal identity (including sexual orientation and racial/ethnic group belonging); access to, and perceived discrimination in healthcare services; overall physical and mental health, including diagnosed health issues; stress associated with sexual orientation; social support from friends, family, groups, and community; and intimate relationships.

Response Rates View help for Response Rates

The total response rate for the baseline (wave 1) survey was 39%. The wave 2 follow-up had a 59% retention rate of those who participated in wave 1.

Presence of Common Scales View help for Presence of Common Scales

Likert-type scales

• Social Well-Being scale
• Satisfaction with Life scale
• Multi-group Ethnic Identity scale
• Sexual Identity Centrality scale
• Community Connectedness scale
• Healthcare Stereotype Threat scale
• Felt Stigma scale
• Internalized Homophobia scale
• Everyday Discrimination scale
• Chronic Strains scale
• Childhood Gender Non-conformity scale
• Multidimensional scale of Perceived Social Support

Count type scales

• Kessler-6 scale
• Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT)
• Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT)
• Adverse Childhood Experiences

Original Release Date View help for Original Release Date

2020-08-25

Version History View help for Version History

Weight View help for Weight

Final sample weights are available for use with the data. When applied, results from analyses are generalizable to the U.S. population of LGB (lesbian, gay men, and bisexual) adults ages 18-25, 34-41, and 52-59 during data collection.

The sample weights are:

• W1WEIGHT_FULL to be used for analyses using the full sample (original plus extended sample).
• W1WEIGHT_ORIG to be used for analyses using the original sample only.
• W2WEIGHT to be used for analyses using Wave 2 survey (including longitudinal analyses of Wave 1 and Wave 2 respondents).
• W3WEIGHT to be used for analyses using Wave 3 survey (Including longitudinal analyses of Wave 1, Wave 2, and Wave 3 respondents).