The prevalence of atopic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, is increased in sexually diverse people, including those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, according to a research letter published in JAMA Dermatology. Katelyn J. Rypka, BS, and colleagues calculated crude and multivariable adjusted ORs for prevalence of atopic dermatitis, asthma, and allergic rhinitis comparing heterosexual and sexually diverse individuals. Data were included for 27,012 respondents to the 2021 National Health Interview Survey, of whom 25,701 were heterosexual and 1,311 were sexually diverse. Sexually diverse individuals were more likely to report atopic dermatitis (11.1% vs 7.2%), asthma (12.0% vs 7.8%), and allergic rhinitis (33.7% vs 25.6%) compared with heterosexual individuals (adjusted OR, 1.49, 1.39, and 1.30, respectively). In sex-stratified analyses, results were similar. “Further research is needed to identify factors contributing to these differences, including environmental, socioeconomic, and sociocultural factors and minority stress,” the study authors wrote.
