Predictors of cannabis and tobacco co-use in youth: exploring the mediating role of age at first use in the population assessment of tobacco health (PATH) study

Patterns of Tobacco and Cannabis Use Among Sexual Minority Females and Males From PATH Wave 5: The Role of Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates

INTRODUCTION

Although sexual minority (SM; vs heterosexual) individuals display higher rates of tobacco and cannabis use, limited research has examined sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates of single and co-use among this population.

METHODS

Participants were SM-identifying female (N = 2419; Mage = 27.80; 50.0% racial/ethnic minority) and male (N = 1142; Mage = 30.34; 46.1% racial/ethnic minority) adults from Wave 5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study. Multinomial logistic regressions examined sociodemographic (ie, sexual identity, age, race/ethnicity, education, income) and psychosocial (ie, alcohol use, mental health, substance use) correlates of single and co-use (ie, no use [referent], tobacco-only, cannabis-only, co-use), controlling for state cannabis legalization, among SM females and males, separately.

RESULTS

The proportions of SM females reporting no use, tobacco-only, cannabis-only, and co-use were 37.9%, 24.0%, 10.5%, and 27.6%, respectively. Among males, 40.6%, 27.8%, 10.1%, and 21.5% reported no use, tobacco-only, cannabis-only, and co-use, respectively. Among females and males, substance use problems were associated with all 3 use groups (vs no use); past-month alcohol use was associated with cannabis-only and co-use; and mental health symptoms were associated with co-use (and cannabis-only in males). Sociodemographic correlates among females were: tobacco-only-identifying as bisexual (vs lesbian), White (vs Black), older, lower education, and lower income; cannabis-only-bisexual, other race (vs White); and co-use-White (vs Hispanic), lower education, and lower income. Among males, sociodemographic correlates were: tobacco-only-older, lower education, and lower income; cannabis-only-Black (vs White) and higher income.

CONCLUSIONS

Public health efforts to reduce tobacco and cannabis use among SM adults should target single versus co-use patterns and their corresponding sociodemographic, mental health, and substance use profiles.

Is There a Dose-Response Relationship Between Cannabis Use and Violence? A Longitudinal Study in Individuals with Severe Mental Disorders

Introduction: Recent longitudinal studies point toward the existence of a positive relationship between cannabis use and violence in people with severe mental disorders (SMD). However, the existence of a dose-response relationship between the frequency/severity of cannabis use and violence has seldom been investigated. Therefore, this study aims to determine if such a relationship exists in a psychiatric population. Methods: To do so, a total of 98 outpatients (81 males and 17 females, all over 18 years of age) with SMD were recruited at the Institut universitaire de santé mentale de Montréal (Montréal, Canada) and included in the analyses. Clinical evaluations were conducted every 3 months for a year. Substance use, violent behaviors, and potential covariables were assessed through self-reported assessments, urinary testing, as well as clinical, criminal, and police records. Using generalized estimating equations, the association between cannabis use frequency (nonusers, occasional, regular, and frequent users) and violence was investigated, as well as the association between the severity of cannabis use and violent behaviors. Results: It was found that cannabis use frequency and severity were significant predictors of violent behaviors. After adjustment for time, age, sex, ethnicity, diagnoses, impulsivity, and use of alcohol and stimulants, odds ratios were of 1.91 (p<0.001) between each frequency profile and 1.040 (p<0.001) for each increase of one point of the severity of cannabis use score (ranging from 0 to 79). Conclusions: Despite the high attrition rate, these findings may have important implications for clinicians as cannabis use may have serious consequences in psychiatric populations. Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Problems and Tobacco and Cannabis Use Among US Emerging Adults

INTRODUCTION

Mental health problems in emerging adulthood are linked to tobacco and cannabis use, but whether race and ethnicity modifies these associations is unclear.

METHODS

We used data from wave 4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (youth n = 6898, young adult n = 10,304) to conduct latent class analysis (LCA) of six past 30-day tobacco and cannabis use indicators (i.e., cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), cigars, blunts, cannabis vaping, other cannabis). We estimated associations between past 30-day internalizing and externalizing (i.e., low (referent), moderate, high) problems and latent classes of tobacco/cannabis use (vs. never/former use) using adjusted multinomial logistic regression. We explored whether associations varied by race and ethnicity through stratification.

RESULTS

We identified four exclusive use latent classes and two dual/poly use latent classes for both youth and young adult samples. Race/ethnicity-stratified models identified associations between internalizing/externalizing problems and most use classes for Hispanic and non-Hispanic White youth/young adults, with mixed results for non-Hispanic Black youth/young adults. For example, Hispanic (OR: 2.50, 95% CI: 1.09-5.74) and non-Hispanic White (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.18-3.06) youth with high internalizing problems had higher odds of ENDS + cannabis vaping. Externalizing problems were not associated with use among non-Hispanic Black youth while internalizing problems were not associated with use among non-Hispanic Black young adults.

CONCLUSION

We observed racial/ethnic variation in mental health problems and tobacco and cannabis use. Understanding mental health problem and tobacco product and cannabis use comorbidity may better inform culturally relevant interventions aimed to prevent and reduce use.

Latent Classes of Tobacco and Cannabis Use among Youth and Young Adults in the United States

Background: Research characterizing patterns of tobacco and cannabis use by product type and route of administration among youth and young adults (YAs) is limited. Methods: We conducted latent class analysis of tobacco and cannabis use (i.e., cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), cigars, blunts, cannabis vaping, and other cannabis use (without blunting/vaping)) among youth (ages 15-17) and YAs (ages 18-24) who used at least one product in the past 30 days, using data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (Wave 4, 2016-2017). We used multinomial logistic regression models to examine associations between sociodemographic characteristics and use classes. Results: The latent use classes for youth included cigarettes (2.5%), ENDS (2.6%), blunts (2.5%), other cannabis (6.3%), ENDS + cannabis vaping (2.7%), and cigarettes + cigars + other cannabis (1.5%), while the latent use classes for YAs included cigarettes (11.7%), ENDS (3.9%), blunts (5.3%), other cannabis (7.0%), cigarettes + cigars (8.2%), and cigarettes + ENDS + cannabis vaping (4.9%). We compared use classes to never/former use for youth (82.0%) and YAs (59.0%) and found that they differed by each sociodemographic characteristic. For example, non-Hispanic Black YAs had higher odds of cigarettes + cigar use compared to non-Hispanic White YAs, whereas racial/ethnic minority youth and YAs had lower odds of other dual/poly use groups compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Conclusions: We observed differences in use classes by sociodemographic characteristics for youth and YAs. Health professionals must consider tobacco and cannabis use patterns when implementing prevention and cessation interventions.

The Role of Cigarillo Flavor in the Co-Use of Cigarillos and Cannabis among Young Adults

Background: Research suggests flavor facilitates cigarillo use, but it is unknown if flavor impacts patterns of co-use of cigarillos and cannabis ("co-use"), which is common among young adult smokers. This study's aim was to determine the role of the cigarillo flavor in co-use among young adults. Methods: Data were collected (2020-2021) in a cross-sectional online survey administered to young adults who smoked ≥2 cigarillos/week (N = 361), recruited from 15 urban areas in the United States. A structural equation model was used to assess the relationship between flavored cigarillo use and past 30-day cannabis use (flavored cigarillo perceived appeal and harm as parallel mediators), including several social-contextual covariates (e.g., flavor and cannabis policies). Results: Most participants reported usually using flavored cigarillos (81.8%) and cannabis use in the past 30 days ("co-use") (64.1%). Flavored cigarillo use was not directly associated with co-use (p = 0.90). Perceived cigarillo harm (β = 0.18, 95% CI = 0.06, 0.29), number of tobacco users in the household (β = 0.22, 95% CI = 0.10, 0.33), and past 30-day use of other tobacco products (β = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.15, 0.32) were significantly positively associated with co-use. Living in an area with a ban on flavored cigarillos was significantly negatively associated with co-use (β = -0.12, 95% CI = -0.21, -0.02). Conclusions: Use of flavored cigarillos was not associated with co-use; however, exposure to a flavored cigarillo ban was negatively associated with co-use. Cigar product flavor bans may reduce co-use among young adults or have a neutral impact. Further research is needed to explore the interaction between tobacco and cannabis policy and use of these products.

Internalizing and externalizing problems on the age of e-cigarette initiation in youth: Findings from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH), 2013-2017

Previous research has established an association between internalizing and externalizing problems with e-cigarette use in youth. Secondary analysis of Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health youth waves 1-4(2013-2017). Age of initiation of ever e-cigarette use and age of first report of past 30-day e-cigarette use were prospectively estimated among never e-cigarette users(waves 1-3). Weighted interval-censoring multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were fit to assess differences in each e-cigarette outcome among youth with internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as the interaction between internalizing and externalizing problems, while adjusting for covariates. Weighted interval-censoring survival analyses estimated the age of initiation of ever and age of first report of past 30-day e-cigarette use stratified by internalizing and externalizing problems. Among youth never e-cigarette users, those with high internalizing problems and high externalizing problems had increased risk of initiating ever e-cigarette use at earlier ages compared to youth with none/low internalizing and externalizing problems, respectively. Youth with high internalizing problems and high externalizing problems had increased risk of first reporting past 30-day e-cigarette use at earlier ages compared to youth with none/low internalizing problems, respectively. By age 17, 36.3% of youth with high internalizing problems and 38.5% of youth with high externalizing problems initiated ever e-cigarette use. By age 17, 16.8% of youth with high internalizing and 18.7% of youth with high externalizing problems first reported past 30-day e-cigarette use. Youth with internalizing and externalizing problems should be screened for e-cigarette use and provided with proper resources to prevent onset of e-cigarette use.