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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Increase the number of national surveys that collect data on lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations — LGBT‑01 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About the National Data  |  Methodology  |  History

About the National Data

Data

Data Source:  Healthy People 2030 Database (Data2030), CDC/NCHS

Baseline: 8 national, population-based surveys collected data on (or for) lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations in 2016

Target: 10 surveys

Numerator
Number of population-based federal surveys that include at least 1 question that includes lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations, or related questions to sexual orientation or sexual identity, same-sex households, or reporting of bullying or hate crimes due to sexual orientation.
Target-setting method
Projection
Target-setting method details
Linear trend fitted using ordinary least squares and a projection at the 67 percent prediction interval.
1
Target-setting method justification
Trend data were evaluated for this objective. Using historical data points, a trend line was fitted using ordinary least squares, and the trend was projected into the next decade. This method was used because three or more comparable data points were available, the projected value was within the range of possible values, and a projection at the 67 percent prediction interval was selected because the value is a whole number, which is most appropriate for this objective. This is also equivalent to a 20 percent improvement (rounded up).

Methodology

Methodology notes

The topic area workgroup will annually review federal, population-based surveys for their inclusion of sexual orientation questions in the instrument. Sexual orientation has three main dimensions: sexual attraction, sexual behavior, and sexual identity. Sexual attraction refers to the relationship between a person's gender and the gender(s) of the individuals to whom that person is sexually attracted (for example, whether an individual is attracted to men, women, or both men and women). Sexual behavior refers to the relationship between a person's gender and the gender(s) of the individuals with whom that person engages in sexual activity (for example, whether an individual has sex partners who are of the same sex, the opposite sex, or both). Sexual identity refers to the way a person self-identifies with a given sexual orientation (for example, how an individual thinks of the individual's self).

Many federal surveys collect household relationship data for all individuals living in the same housing unit. Household relationship data can be used to provide an indirect estimate of the sexual and gender minority population through the measurement of same-sex couples. This approach, however, does not provide a direct measure of sexual orientation, and yields an incomplete estimate, since persons not in a relationship or not living in the same household as their partner will not be identified.

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Retained, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 with no change in measurement.

1. Because Healthy People 2030 objectives have a desired direction (e.g., increase or decrease), the confidence level of a one-sided prediction interval can be used as an indication of how likely a target will be to achieve based on the historical data and fitted trend.