Whos at greatest risk Latent profiles of alcohol and cannabis use and related consequences among college students.
There is significant heterogeneity in alcohol and cannabis use patterns among college students, with some engaging in use patterns that heighten their risk for adverse consequences. Person-centered approaches can help identify those subgroups of students with riskier use patterns. Latent Profile Analyses (LPA) were conducted to identify subgroups based on alcohol and cannabis use frequency and quantity, to explore demographic covariates and to examine mean differences across subgroups on alcohol- and cannabis-related consequences, simultaneous use, and other substance use. Participants were 2,423 college students (M A four-profile solution was the best fitting model. Profile 1 represented light, infrequent alcohol and cannabis use (73.8 %), Profile 2 represented heavy, infrequent alcohol and moderate, frequent cannabis use (15.9 %), Profile 3 represented moderate, frequent alcohol and cannabis use (5.6 %) and Profile 4 represented very heavy, frequent alcohol and heavy, frequent cannabis use (4.7 %). Students who identify as male, White non-Hispanic, andor Greek-affiliated were more likely to be in the heavy alcohol use profiles. Profiles 3 and 4 represent high-risk profiles, with both having a higher likelihood of simultaneous use, Profile 3 endorsing more cannabis consequences, and Profile 4 endorsing more alcohol consequences. Results suggest that heavy alcohol or heavy co-use heightens risk for serious adverse consequences.