Adolescent substance use: Latent class and transition analysis

AbstractThis study examines the emotional and behavioural pathways to adolescent substance use and antisocial behaviour. Using a sample of 17,223 participants from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, we applied parallel-process growth mixture modelling on emotional and behavioural symptoms in those aged 3 to 14 and employed latent class analysis to identify patterns of substance use and antisocial behaviours at age 14. We then performed a multinomial regression analysis to explore the association between emotional and behavioural trajectories and patterns of adolescent substance use and antisocial behaviours, controlling for sociodemographic, family and maternal factors. We found five trajectories of emotional and behavioural symptoms and four classes of adolescence substance use and antisocial behaviour. Children and adolescents in the ‘high externalising and internalising’ and ‘moderate externalising’ trajectories were more likely to belong to any problematic behaviour class, especially the ‘poly-substance use and antisocial behaviours’ class. Inclusion in the ‘moderate externalising and internalising (childhood limited)’ class was associated with higher odds of belonging to the ‘alcohol and tobacco’ class. These associations remained significant after controlling for important sociodemographic and contextual factors, such as maternal substance use, poverty, and parental status. Interventions on adolescent health promotion and risk behaviour prevention need to address the clustering of substance use and antisocial behaviour as well as the significant influence of early and chronic internalising and externalising symptoms on the aetiology of these behaviours.

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Childhood sexual abuse and adolescent substance use: A latent class analysis

Drug and Alcohol Dependence ◽

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.01.013 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 109 (1-3) ◽

pp. 226-235 ◽

Cited By ~ 59

Author(s):

Sunny Hyucksun Shin ◽

Hyokyoung Grace Hong ◽

Andrea L. Hazen

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Substance Use ◽

Childhood Sexual Abuse ◽

Latent Class Analysis ◽

Latent Class ◽

Adolescent Substance Use ◽

Class Analysis ◽

Adolescent Substance

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Changes in patterns of adolescent substance use from 1988 to 2011 in Sweden: a latent class analysis

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz185.112 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

B Evans ◽

Y Kim ◽

C Hagquist

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Internalizing Problems ◽

Latent Class ◽

Adolescent Substance Use ◽

Prevalence Rates ◽

Adolescent Substance ◽

Use Patterns ◽

Polysubstance Use ◽

Experimental Use ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background Prevalence rates of adolescent substance use have shifted over time, although potential changes in nuanced patterns of substance use remain unexplored. We examined patterns of adolescent substance use in Sweden and changes in these patterns between 1988 and 2011. Furthermore, we investigated whether gender and internalizing problems were associated with substance use and whether these associations changed over time. Methods The sample included all 15-16-year-old students in Värmland County, Sweden (N = 20,057). Survey data were collected eight times between 1988 and 2011 and analyzed as four cohorts (1988/1991, 1995/1998, 2002/2005, 2008/2011). We measured alcohol, tobacco and inhalant use and internalizing problems. Results A latent class analysis showed that a three-class model fit the data best (i.e. non/low use, experimental use, and polysubstance use classes). Class- and item-response probabilities changed over time: fewer adolescents exhibited riskier substance use patterns in the later cohorts. Boys were more likely than girls to be in the polysubstance use class compared to the non/low use class across all cohorts (all ps < .001). Gender differences in experimental use differed across the cohorts. Adolescents who reported more internalizing problems were more likely to be included in the experimental and polysubstance use classes compared to the non/low use class (all ps < .001) and this effect did not change over the study period. Conclusions We extended the research on trends in rates of substance use by mapping how patterns of substance use changed over time as well as how the effects of gender and internalizing problems shifted. While fewer adolescents exhibited riskier patterns of substance use in the later cohorts, these patterns were associated with experiencing more internalizing problems across the study period. Prevention efforts could be more effective by targeting patterns of substance use rather than prevalence rates. Key messages We tested whether patterns of adolescent substance use changed from 1988 to 2011 in Sweden. Fewer adolescents showed riskier substance use patterns in the late 2000s than in the earlier study years. Gender differences shifted over time for experimental use but not polysubstance use. Internalizing problems were consistently associated with riskier substance use patterns across the study period.

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