Temporal Trends in Sexual Identity and Sociodemographic Disparities in Stockholm, Sweden, 2010–2021

Bibliographic Data

ID11026627
AuthorsWilli Zhang (0009-0006-9087-479X, Willi Zhang, Per Tynelius, Gunnar Brandén, and Kyriaki Kosidou are with the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. Maya B. Mathur is with the Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Matteo Quartagno is with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, England. Fredrik Liljeros is with the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, and the Department), Per Tynelius (0000-0001-8155-7406, Willi Zhang, Per Tynelius, Gunnar Brandén, and Kyriaki Kosidou are with the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. Maya B. Mathur is with the Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Matteo Quartagno is with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, England. Fredrik Liljeros is with the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, and the Department), Maya B Mathur (0000-0001-6698-2607, Willi Zhang, Per Tynelius, Gunnar Brandén, and Kyriaki Kosidou are with the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. Maya B. Mathur is with the Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Matteo Quartagno is with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, England. Fredrik Liljeros is with the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, and the Department), Matteo Quartagno (0000-0003-4446-0730, Willi Zhang, Per Tynelius, Gunnar Brandén, and Kyriaki Kosidou are with the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. Maya B. Mathur is with the Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Matteo Quartagno is with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, England. Fredrik Liljeros is with the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, and the Department), Gunnar Brandén (0000-0002-9144-2247, Willi Zhang, Per Tynelius, Gunnar Brandén, and Kyriaki Kosidou are with the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. Maya B. Mathur is with the Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Matteo Quartagno is with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, England. Fredrik Liljeros is with the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, and the Department), Fredrik Liljeros (0000-0001-8642-6624, Willi Zhang, Per Tynelius, Gunnar Brandén, and Kyriaki Kosidou are with the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. Maya B. Mathur is with the Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Matteo Quartagno is with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, England. Fredrik Liljeros is with the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, and the Department), Kyriaki Kosidou (0000-0002-1165-9455, Willi Zhang, Per Tynelius, Gunnar Brandén, and Kyriaki Kosidou are with the Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden. Maya B. Mathur is with the Quantitative Sciences Unit, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA. Matteo Quartagno is with the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, England. Fredrik Liljeros is with the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, and the Department)
Year2025
Volume115
Issue12
Pages2062-2071
Publication date2025-12-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2025.308202
PMID40906965
OpenAlexW4413976068
LanguageEN
References cited24

Objectives. To examine temporal trends in sexual identity and sociodemographic disparities in Sweden after gender-neutral marriage legislation in 2009. Methods. We analyzed 3 cross-sectional surveys from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort (2010, 2014, 2021) that included 76 083 participants 16 years or older. Weighted Poisson regression was used to estimate associations between sexual identity and sociodemographic covariates. Survey weights and multiple imputation addressed sampling design and nonresponse. Results. Bisexual identity doubled between 2010 and 2021, from 2.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8%, 2.4%) to 4.3% (95% CI = 3.8%, 4.7%) among females and from 1.0% (95% CI = 0.8%, 1.2%) to 1.9% (95% CI = 1.6%, 2.3%) among males. In 2021, 15.1% (95% CI = 12.5%, 17.7%) of Generation Z (1997–2012) females and 6.9% (95% CI = 5.8%, 8.0%) of Millennials (1981–1996) identified as bisexual; the figures for males were 4.2% (95% CI = 2.8%, 5.7%) and 2.4% (95% CI = 1.7%, 3.1%). Bisexual identity was associated with lower income and never-married status, although the strength of the associations decreased over time. Conclusions. The rise in bisexual identity, particularly among younger generations, likely reflects shifting societal and cultural norms. Income and marital disparities persist but have narrowed. Public Health Implications. Public health should support bisexual individuals as part of broader efforts to promote equity amid evolving norms. ( Am J Public Health. 2025;115(12): 2062–2071. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308202 )

Confidence interval · Human sexuality · Public health · Sexual identity · Sexual minority · Sexual orientation · Sociology · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Demography · Gender Studies · HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions · LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology

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