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Table 1 Characteristics of study variables

From: Sexual orientation and symptoms of common mental disorder or low wellbeing: combined meta-analysis of 12 UK population health surveys

Total n = 94,818

British Cohort Study

Health Survey for England

LSYPE

Scottish Health Survey

Understanding Society

Year sexual orientation identity recorded

2012

2011

2012

2013

2009/10

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2011/12

Study sample size

6,958

7,116

7,033

7,299

6,310

5,091

6,208

6,229

6,391

4,149

4,320

27,714

Refused identity itema (%)

0.5

3.0

3.0

2.0

0.4

6.5

4.6

5.2

4.4

2.9

3.1

0.1

GHQ score ≥4 (%)

-

-

15.1

-

22.3

14.3

14.4

15.9

15.0

14.7

15.1

18.9

Anxious/depressed (%)

-

26.5

19.8

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Low wellbeing score (%)

31.1

21.6

19.5

21.7

-

27.9

28.6

30.4

27.7

28.4

27.8

-

Age (range 16;103)

40;40

16;96

16;98

16;104

16;19

18;93

18;101

18;96

18;103

18;99

18;99

16;100

Male (%)

45.8

44.6

44.7

44.6

49.6

43.6

43.9

42.9

43.0

44.1

43.1

43.3

Lesbian/Gay

1.9

0.9

1.0

1.3

1.3

0.7

0.8

0.9

0.8

0.9

0.8

1.3

Bisexual

0.6

0.6

0.7

0.7

1.7

0.9

0.8

1.0

1.0

0.5

0.6

1.1

‘Other’

0.2

0.6

0.4

0.6

0.2

0.8

0.6

1.4

1.4

0.7

0.8

1.1

Ethnic minorityb

3.1

9.4

9.3

10.0

30.1

2.4

2.1

2.8

2.5

2.6

2.6

13.1

University degree

24.9

25.1

26.1

26.5

18.2

26.9

27.6

28.5

28.0

30.0

30.7

24.2

Smoker

23.3

19.9

18.8

19.2

20.8

39.4

36.0

36.4

36.1

38.8

38.3

55.1

Longstanding illness

14.8

42.4

41.2

41.3

6.6

43.0

42.0

47.7

47.1

34.3

33.4

34.1

Married/co-habiting

80.7

64.2

64.2

54.2

30.7

67.4

67.0

63.5

65.5

65.5

63.4

63.1

  1. Note. aRefusal to answer sexual orientation identity item (excluded from the analytic sample).bLSYPE and Understanding Society over-sample ethnic minority groups, explaining the high proportions seen here