Among German university students, 14.9% smoked cigarettes, 38.6% drank at risky levels, and 10.9% used marijuana, with each substance use strongly associated with the others.
University health services, substance prevention program designers, and student health researchers.
38.6% risky alcoholwas the most prevalent substance use among German university students, with each substance strongly predicting use of the others
What the researchers found
Each substance was highly associated with use of the other two substances. Health behaviors were the strongest predictors, while psychological and psychosocial variables played a relatively minor role.
Why it matters
Prevention programs for university students should address substance use holistically rather than targeting individual substances, as these behaviors are strongly interconnected.
The numbers in context
3,991 students analyzed. 14.9% cigarette smoking, 38.6% risky alcohol, 10.9% marijuana. 9 predictors of smoking (R2=0.314), 18 predictors of risky drinking (R2=0.270), 16 predictors of marijuana (R2=0.239).
How the study worked
Cross-sectional online health survey at University of Mainz, Germany, with 270 health-related items. Binary logistic regression with stepwise inclusion of five variable groups.
Who was studied
3,991 university students at the University of Mainz, Germany.
What this study cannot tell us
Single university limits generalizability. Cross-sectional design cannot establish causal direction. Self-reported substance use. German context may not translate to other countries.
How to read the evidence
Large cross-sectional survey with comprehensive variable analysis; single-university design limits generalizability.
When this study was published
Recent survey of German university students.
The bigger picture
This comprehensive analysis of substance use risk factors among university students supports the concept of polysubstance use as a cluster of behaviors requiring integrated prevention approaches.
Replication
Single-university study; multi-site replication would strengthen findings.
Funding
Not specified in abstract
Conflicts of interest
Not specified in abstract
Questions still open
- Would integrated prevention programs be more effective than substance-specific ones?
- Do these patterns differ across European universities?
Read the original research
Cigarette Smoking, Risky Alcohol Consumption, and Marijuana Smoking among University Students in Germany: Identification of Potential Sociodemographic and Study-Related Risk Groups and Predictors of Consumption.
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 11(24)
Citation
Hoff, Thilo A; Heller, Sebastian; Reichel, Jennifer L; Werner, Antonia M; Schäfer, Markus; Tibubos, Ana Nanette; Simon, Perikles; Beutel, Manfred E; Letzel, Stephan; Rigotti, Thomas; Dietz, Pavel. (2023). Cigarette Smoking, Risky Alcohol Consumption, and Marijuana Smoking among University Students in Germany: Identification of Potential Sociodemographic and Study-Related Risk Groups and Predictors of Consumption.. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 11(24). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11243182