Background/Purpose Health disparities between sexual minorities and heterosexuals are well documented and have been explained by differential access to healthcare as well as exposure to discrimination. The current research examines the role that healthcare stereotype threat, or the fear of being judged by healthcare providers based on negative group stereotypes, plays in the health of LGB individuals. Methods LGB individuals (N = 1507) in three age cohorts were recruited via random digit dialing to participate in a larger study on sexual minority health. Participants completed measures assessing healthcare stereotype threat, lifetime health diagnoses, life satisfaction, and number of bad physical health days and personal distress in the past 30 days. Results Healthcare stereotype threat was associated with higher psychological distress and number of reported bad physical health days. Additionally, the Younger and Middle cohorts reported more stereotype threat than the Older cohort, but reported significantly higher levels of life satisfaction in the face of this threat than those in the Older cohort. Conclusions Healthcare stereotype threat was related to poorer mental and physical health among LGB individuals; this was true when these outcomes were assessed over the past 30 days but not when they were assessed in general. Cohort differences in healthcare stereotype threat suggest potential important within group variation that needs further investigating. The research broadens the contexts to which stereotype threat is relevant and establishes a stressor related to LGB health.

中文翻译：

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LGB 个体的医疗保健刻板印象威胁和健康结果

背景/目的 性少数群体和异性恋者之间的健康差异有据可查，并且可以通过医疗保健的差异以及遭受歧视来解释。目前的研究调查了医疗保健刻板印象威胁，或害怕被医疗保健提供者基于负面群体刻板印象评判，在 LGB 个体健康中所起的作用。方法 通过随机数字拨号招募三个年龄组中的 LGB 个体（N = 1507），以参与一项关于性少数群体健康的大型研究。参与者完成了评估医疗保健刻板印象威胁、终生健康诊断、生活满意度以及过去 30 天内身体健康不良天数和个人痛苦的测量。结果 医疗保健刻板印象威胁与较高的心理困扰和报告的身体健康不良天数有关。此外，年轻组和中组比老年组报告了更多的刻板印象威胁，但在面对这种威胁时，他们的生活满意度显着高于老年组。结论 医疗保健刻板印象威胁与 LGB 个体较差的身心健康有关；在过去 30 天内评估这些结果时确实如此，但在总体评估时则不然。医疗保健刻板印象威胁的队列差异表明需要进一步调查的群体变异中的潜在重要性。该研究拓宽了刻板印象威胁相关的背景，并建立了与 LGB 健康相关的压力源。