What does this research mean for the field?

Substance use among 2-year college students is heterogeneous and can be categorized into four distinct classes, with male gender, younger age, independent living, and parental approval of cannabis predicting membership in high-risk simultaneous use groups. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to explore substance use patterns among two-year college students and identify high-risk groups.

June 13, 2026

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

Key Points

The study aims to explore substance use patterns among two-year college students and identify high-risk groups.
234 young adults (ages 18-29) from two-year colleges were surveyed about their alcohol and cannabis use.
Latent class analysis identified patterns of use and consequences.
Multinomial logistic regression assessed the relationship between demographics, peer norms, and parental approval with class membership.
Four classes of substance use identified: alcohol-only (27%), cannabis-only (13%), alcohol and cannabis (28%), and high-risk simultaneous use (33%).
Higher parental approval of cannabis, younger age, and male gender were linked to membership in high-risk classes.
Living with parents was negatively associated with high-risk substance use classes.

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.

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