# Neighborhoods, Sexual Orientation, Race/Ethnicity & Smoking Across the Adult Lifespan: A Multilevel Intersectional Assessment

> **NIH NIH R36** · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · 2021 · $68,660

## Abstract

Abstract/Project Summary
 Recent estimates indicate that 11.3 million adults in the United States identify as sexual and/or gender
minorities (SGMs) and of these 2.3 million are aged 50 and older. Demographic estimates also indicate that the
proportion of the U.S. populous identifying as older sexual and gender minorities will exponentially grow by 2030,
with projections indicating roughly 6.0 million adults aged 50 and older will identify as sexual and gender
minorities. Cigarette smoking represents one of the most deleterious health behaviors that shapes a multitude
of health disease processes, including dementias, neurodegenerative cognitive functioning, and overall
increasing mortality that jeopardizes longevity and quality of life for aging populations. Across the adult lifespan,
sexual minorities exhibit elevated rates of smoking compared to their heterosexual counterparts, with
neighborhood contexts increasingly shaping smoking behaviors. Inconclusive evidence suggests concentrations
of older SMs in residential neighborhoods may boost social networks enhancing resiliency, conversely buffering
against experiences of discrimination. Yet, most research on SGM older populations has not thoroughly
considered neighborhood contexts in shaping smoking behaviors across the adult lifespan; particular
racial/ethnic variations. This project fills this gap with three aims. The first aim will focus on constructing a novel
measure of age-specific patterns of residential segregation among sexual minority populations, residing in a
gayborhood or not, using Census data and social demographic techniques. This will help identify racial/ethnic
variations among sexual minorities across the adult lifespan with respect to residential configurations in urban
centers. The second aim will focus on documenting cohort-specific racial/ethnic variations, among sexual
minorities, in neighborhood disadvantage drawing upon Census data. The third aim will combine contextual data
with individual-level health data form two national samples of adult sexual minorities (aged 18-90) to employ
inventive intersectional multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (MAIHDA).
Evidence derived from this study is necessary to identify key stages across the adult lifespan to minimize
smoking behaviors among persons with multiple stigmatized identities; evidence to inform optimizing clinical
and/or population-level interventions aimed at eliminating the deleterious impacts of cigarette smoking. Building
upon strong training in aging health-related research, enhancing feasibility, the proposed study will contribute
knowledge on populations understudied in aging focused disparities research. Moreover, the novel measure of
residential segregation will appeal to the cadre of investigators interested in assessing the mediating influence
of neighborhood contexts in compromising healthy aging trajectories.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10108993
- **Project number:** 1R36AG070553-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Kasim S. Ortiz
- **Activity code:** R36 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $68,660
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-01-01 → 2022-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10108993

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10108993, Neighborhoods, Sexual Orientation, Race/Ethnicity & Smoking Across the Adult Lifespan: A Multilevel Intersectional Assessment (1R36AG070553-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10108993. Licensed CC0.

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