The effect of sexual orientation on satisfaction with place of residency and future migration plans of adolescents in Iceland

Abstract

Background: Research has suggested that sexual minorities have higher rates of migration (i.e., changes in residential locations) than heterosexual individuals suggesting that homosexual individuals aspire to remove themselves from potentially toxic environments that are anathema to their wellbeing. Objective(s): To examine whether lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) adolescents (boys and girls) were more likely than heterosexual adolescents or adolescents of unknown sexual orientation to be unhappy with their place of residency and want to change residential location within the same country or even relocate permanently overseas. Methods: Data from the Icelandic Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey in 2009/10 for year 10 students was examined. The sample totaled 3,774 participants or about 78.5% of the total population in this age group. Results: LGB girls were more likely to be very unhappy with their current place of residency than heterosexual girls or girls of unknown sexual orientation. However, these girls were no more likely to want to leave their current place of residency than other girls. LGB boys were unhappier with their current residency and more inclined to want to leave and migrate overseas permanently than heterosexual boys or boys of unknown sexual orientation. Conclusions: LGB girls seem no more likely to leave their current place of residency than their female counterparts while LGB boys are more like to want to migrate than their male counterparts.