Exploring substance use patterns among 2-year college students: a latent class approach to identifying high-risk groups

AI Summary

Four distinct substance use classes identified among 2-year students: alcohol-only (27%), cannabis-only (13%), simultaneous use (28%), simultaneous with high consequences (33%).
Simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use was associated with elevated negative consequences compared with single substance classes.
Male gender, younger age, not living with parents, and higher parental approval of cannabis predict membership in higher risk classes, guiding targeted prevention.

J Am Coll Health. 2026 Jun 10:1-9. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2026.2680125. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Alcohol and cannabis are commonly used among young adults, with simultaneous use linked to greater negative consequences. Two-year college students are understudied and may differ from 4-year students in demographics, life circumstances, and risk factors. Methods: Participants were 234 young adults (18-29 years) enrolled in 2-year colleges reporting recent, elevated alcohol and/or cannabis use. Latent class analysis (LCA) identified patterns of use and related consequences. Demographics and perceived peer and parental norms were examined in relation to class membership using multinomial logistic regression. Results: Four classes emerged: alcohol-only (27%), cannabis-only (13%), alcohol, cannabis, and simultaneous use (28%), and alcohol, cannabis, and simultaneous use with high consequences (33%). Male gender, higher parental approval of cannabis, younger age, and not living with parents were associated with membership in the two higher-risk classes. Discussion: Results highlight heterogeneous substance use among 2-year students and the importance of parental norms, informing targeted prevention strategies.

PMID:42268653 | DOI:10.1080/07448481.2026.2680125

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