Adolescent tobacco uptake and other substance use: A latent class analysis

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify patterns of tobacco uptake and other substance use, from early to late adolescence. Methods: We used weighted latent class analysis, conducted separately for 7^th, 9^th, and 11^th graders, to assess patterns of susceptibility, ever and current use of combustible tobacco and e-cigarettes, and other substance use (ie, current alcohol, binge drinking, and marijuana). Data were from Wave 3 of the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance System (n = 2733; N = 461,069), collected in fall 2015. Multinomial regression was used to examine differences in class membership by demographic factors. Results: Two latent classes were identified in 7^th grade, 3 classes in 9^th grade, and 4 classes in 11^th grade models. In each grade, classes included both a “no risk” and a “tobacco susceptible” class. For 9^th grade, there was an additional “tobacco ever use” class, and 11^th grade had the same additional class as well as an “all products use” class. Conclusion: Distinct patterns of polysubstance use emerged as grade level increased, supporting a stage-sequential model of onset and progression across developmental age groups. Future research can examine other factors affecting transitions across these stages.