Spanish college students' polydrug use strongly correlated with their parents', siblings', and friends' substance use patterns
Among 480 Spanish undergraduates, 46% used multiple substances, with cannabis-inclusive patterns being most common, and polydrug use was strongly correlated with the substance use of close family and friends.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Researchers surveyed 480 Spanish health and sports science undergraduates about their substance use and that of their closest reference persons (parents, siblings, best friend, and partner). Nearly half (46%) reported using two or more substances.
The most common polydrug pattern included cannabis plus alcohol and/or tobacco (50.7% of polydrug users). A smaller group used cannabis plus alcohol, tobacco, and at least one other illegal drug (16.7%). The simplest pattern was alcohol plus tobacco only (29.4%).
The strongest finding was the social correlation: the more a person's close reference persons used multiple substances, the more likely the participant was to be a polydrug user. This held across parents, siblings, best friends, and partners.
Key Numbers
480 students surveyed. 46% reported polydrug use. Pattern A (alcohol+tobacco): 29.4%. Pattern B (cannabis+alcohol/tobacco): 50.7%. Pattern C (cannabis+alcohol+tobacco+other illegal): 16.7%. Strong correlation between participant and reference person polydrug use.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional survey of 480 Spanish undergraduates (43.7% female, ages 18-36) studying health and sports science. Self-report questionnaire assessed substance use of participants and their closest reference persons. Polydrug patterns classified using European Observatory categories.
Why This Research Matters
Prevention programs often focus on individual decision-making, but this study highlights the powerful influence of social environment. Polydrug use patterns mirror those of close family and friends, suggesting that family and peer-focused interventions may be more effective.
The Bigger Picture
Substance use does not happen in a vacuum. The social transmission of drug use patterns from family and peers to young adults is one of the most consistent findings in addiction research. Programs that address family and social network dynamics may be more effective than those targeting individuals alone.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine causal direction. Spanish health/sports science students may not represent all college students. Self-reported data about others' substance use may be inaccurate. Social environment correlations could reflect shared genetics or neighborhood effects.
Questions This Raises
- ?Which reference person has the strongest influence on polydrug patterns?
- ?Would family-based interventions reduce polydrug use among college students?
- ?Do these social patterns persist after college?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 46% of students used 2+ substances; cannabis patterns most common
- Evidence Grade:
- Cross-sectional survey from a single university program. Descriptive findings with social correlation analysis.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2015 from Spanish university data.
- Original Title:
- Polydrug use and its relationship with the familiar and social context amongst young college students.
- Published In:
- Adicciones, 27(3), 205-13 (2015)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-00980
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How common is polydrug use among college students?
In this Spanish sample, 46% of students used two or more substances. The most common pattern (50.7% of polydrug users) included cannabis plus alcohol and/or tobacco.
Does family substance use predict student substance use?
Yes. This study found a strong correlation between students' polydrug use patterns and those of their parents, siblings, best friend, and partner. The more substances close reference persons used, the more the student tended to use.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-00980APA
Hernández-Serrano, Olga; Font-Mayolas, Sílvia; Gras, Maria Eugènia. (2015). Polydrug use and its relationship with the familiar and social context amongst young college students.. Adicciones, 27(3), 205-13.
MLA
Hernández-Serrano, Olga, et al. "Polydrug use and its relationship with the familiar and social context amongst young college students.." Adicciones, 2015.
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Polydrug use and its relationship with the familiar and soci..." RTHC-00980. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/hernandez-serrano-2015-polydrug-use-and-its
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.