Advance Care Planning Among Sexual Minority Men
Sociodemographic, Health Care, and Health Status Predictors
Published in: Journal of Aging and Health (2023). doi: 10.1177/08982643231177725
Posted on RAND.org on June 21, 2023
Objectives
Advance care planning (ACP) specifies decision-making surrogates and preferences for serious illness or end-of-life medical care. ACP research has largely neglected sexual minority men (SMM), a population that experiences disparities in health care and health status.
Methods
We examined formal and informal ACP among SMM ages 40+ in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (N=1,071).
Results
For informal ACP (50%), younger SMM and men with past cardiovascular events had greater odds of planning; single men had lower odds of planning. For formal ACP (39%), SMM with greater socioeconomic status had greater odds of planning; SMM who were younger, of racial/ethnic minority identities, who were single or in a relationship without legal protections, and who lacked a primary care home had lower odds of planning.
Discussion
Findings warrant further exploration of both informal and formal planning. More equitable, culturally-humble engagement of SMM may facilitate access, uptake, and person-centered planning.
Research conducted by
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