To Örebro University

oru.seÖrebro University Publications
System disruptions
We are currently experiencing disruptions on the search portals due to high traffic. We are working to resolve the issue, you may temporarily encounter an error message.
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Childhood Gender Nonconformity and the Stability of Self-Reported Sexual Orientation From Adolescence to Young Adulthood in a Birth Cohort
Örebro University, School of Medical Sciences. King's College London, Institution of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, London, England. (Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics)ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3718-4715
King's College London, Institution of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, London, England.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1714-9963
King's College London, Institution of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, London, England.
2021 (English)In: Developmental Psychology, ISSN 0012-1649, E-ISSN 1939-0599, Vol. 57, no 4, p. 557-569Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This study quantified changes in self-reported sexual orientation from adolescence to early adulthood, and whether childhood gender nonconformity (GNC) predicted sexual orientation changes. Youth (2,678 boys and 3,359 girls; 96.09% ethnically White) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were included. Self-reported sexual orientation was measured using sexual attraction (5-point scale) at ages 15.5, 21, and 23. GNC was measured via Preschool Activities Inventory at ages 2.5. 3.5. and 4.75 years. The prevalence of boys and girls who reported being gay/lesbian increased from 15.5 to 21 years old whereas the proportion of bisexuals was relatively stable for both sexes. Among boys, heterosexuality and being gay were equally stable and relatively more stable compared to bisexuality. Among girls, reporting being lesbian and bisexual were equally unstable and relatively less stable than heterosexuality. Girls reporting being lesbian were more likely to report changes in their sexual orientation than gay adolescent boys. The stability of being lesbian and bisexual among girls, and bisexuality among boys, increased over time. Overall, few people changed their self-reported sexual orientation between ages 21 and 23. GNC at 2.5 years, and changes in GNC from 2.5 to 4.75 years, predicted being lesbian/gay at 15.5, 21, and 23 years and changes from being heterosexual to lesbian/gay from 15.5 to 21 years in each sex. In conclusion. self-reported sexual orientation from adolescence to young adulthood is relatively stable in males compared to females, and childhood GNC is a predictor of any, albeit small, sexual orientation changes.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
American Psychological Association (APA), 2021. Vol. 57, no 4, p. 557-569
Keywords [en]
gender nonconformity, sexual orientation, latent growth, transition analysis, ALSPAC
National Category
Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-91791DOI: 10.1037/dev0001164ISI: 000643550800008PubMedID: 33683915Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85108313645OAI: oai:DiVA.org:oru-91791DiVA, id: diva2:1554688
Funder
Wellcome trust, 102215/2/13/2Available from: 2021-05-17 Created: 2021-05-17 Last updated: 2025-02-20Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

No full text in DiVA

Other links

Publisher's full textPubMedScopus

Authority records

Xu, Yin

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Xu, YinNorton, Sam
By organisation
School of Medical Sciences
In the same journal
Developmental Psychology
Public Health, Global Health and Social Medicine

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
pubmed
urn-nbn
Total: 33 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf