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Educational Attainment by Life Course Sexual Attraction: Prevalence and Correlates in a Nationally Representative Sample of Young Adults

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  • Katrina Walsemann
  • Lisa Lindley
  • Danielle Gentile
  • Shehan Welihindha

Abstract

Researchers know relatively little about the educational attainment of sexual minorities, despite the fact that educational attainment is consistently associated with a range of social, economic, and health outcomes. We examined whether sexual attraction in adolescence and early adulthood was associated with educational attainment in early adulthood among a nationally representative sample of US young adults. We analyzed waves I and IV restricted data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (n = 14,111). Sexual orientation was assessed using self-reports of romantic attraction in waves I (adolescence) and IV (adulthood). Multinomial regression models were estimated and all analyses were stratified by gender. Women attracted to the same-sex in adulthood only had lower educational attainment compared to women attracted only to the opposite-sex in adolescence and adulthood. Men attracted to the same-sex in adolescence only had lower educational attainment compared to men attracted only to the opposite-sex in adolescence and adulthood. Adolescent experiences and academic performance attenuated educational disparities among men and women. Adjustment for adolescent experiences also revealed a suppression effect; women attracted to the same-sex in adolescence and adulthood had lower predicted probabilities of having a high school diploma or less compared to women attracted only to the opposite-sex in adolescence and adulthood. Our findings challenge previous research documenting higher educational attainment among sexual minorities in the US. Additional population-based studies documenting the educational attainment of sexual-minority adults are needed. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Katrina Walsemann & Lisa Lindley & Danielle Gentile & Shehan Welihindha, 2014. "Educational Attainment by Life Course Sexual Attraction: Prevalence and Correlates in a Nationally Representative Sample of Young Adults," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(4), pages 579-602, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:33:y:2014:i:4:p:579-602
    DOI: 10.1007/s11113-013-9288-3
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Stefanie Mollborn & Aubrey Limburg & Bethany G. Everett, 2022. "Mothers’ Sexual Identity and Children’s Health," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(3), pages 1217-1239, June.
    2. Justin Denney & Bridget Gorman, 2014. "Introduction: Population Perspectives on Sexual Minorities," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(4), pages 479-484, August.

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