Summary
Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a study examining the relationship between e-cigarette use and co-occurring substance use patterns among young adults. The study used a latent class analysis to identify distinct substance use patterns and evaluated multiple correlates of substance use patterns in a sample of U.S. college students. The key points and main message of the study are summarized below.
Key Points:
* The study identified four substance use patterns among young adults: Binge Drinkers, Cannabis Users, e-cigarette Users, and Low Substance Users.
* The e-cigarette Users class was characterized by moderate or greater use (> 5 days of nicotine vaping in past 30-days) as well as past 30-day binge drinking and cannabis use.
* higher levels of deviant peer affiliation, impulsivity-lack of premeditation, and lower levels of social anxiety predicted membership in the e-cigarette Users class.
* The study found that young adults reporting moderate or greater levels of nicotine vaping tended to engage in binge drinking and cannabis use, which may ultimately increase risk of deleterious health outcomes.
Main Message:
The main message of this study is that co-occurring substance use, particularly the use of e-cigarettes with binge drinking and cannabis use, is a significant public health concern among young adults. The study highlights the importance of identifying correlates that predict co-use, such as deviant peer affiliation and impulsivity-lack of premeditation, in order to inform prevention and intervention efforts. Public health efforts may benefit from increased selectivity in targeting young adults for e-cigarette prevention and intervention services.
Citation
Lanza hI, Motlagh G, Orozco M. E-cigarette use among young adults: a latent class analysis examining co-use and correlates of nicotine vaping. addictive behaviors. 2020;110:106528. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106528
