Project to estimate the size of the LGB community will help address health and wellbeing needs

Public Health England (PHE) has commissioned a health service research team from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry (PUPSMD) to model the size of the lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) population in England.

PHE is committed to providing data on health outcomes by all protected characteristics in order to understand the health and wellbeing needs of different population groups.  A critical requirement for assessing health outcomes by sexual orientation is robust estimates of the size of the population in different sexual orientation groups.

The project, led by Dr. Kerryn Husk, Research Fellow in Health Services Research at PUPSMD, will carry out an analysis of current work in this area. Using past expertise in assessing the size of particular groups in the wider community, Dr. Husk and his colleagues will then propose a method by which PHE can measure the size of the LGB population on an ongoing basis. They will also provide an estimate of the size of the current LGB population, including what proportion that population makes of the population of England as a whole.

Said Dr. Husk: “Both an accurate estimate of the current LBG population, together with a robust method to estimate the size of that population going forward, will help PHE to understand the health needs and outcomes of the LGB community compared with the rest of the population.”

He added: “This is the latest in a series of projects we have undertaken which focus on the measurement of populations for health purposes, and we are delighted to be working with PHE on this particular project.”

Dr. Husk is supported by the NIHR Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care South West Peninsula (NIHR PenCLAHRC).