Sexual minority young adults had 2-3 times more days of combined cigarette and cannabis use
In a 30-day daily diary study of 147 young adult smokers, sexual minority participants had about twice the odds of same-day cigarette-cannabis use and nearly 3 times the odds of using all three substances (cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis) on the same day.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Sexual minority young adults had significantly greater odds of same-day cigarette and cannabis use (AOR 2.05, 95% CI 1.04-4.01) and all three substances combined (AOR 2.79, 95% CI 1.51-5.14) compared to heterosexuals. Of 2,891 daily assessments, 18.1% included same-day cigarette and cannabis use, and 15.0% included all three substances.
Key Numbers
147 participants; 2,891 daily assessments; 30 days; cigarettes+cannabis AOR 2.05; all 3 substances AOR 2.79; 18.1% of days included cigarettes+cannabis
How They Did This
Daily diary data from 147 young adult smokers (aged 18-26, 51.7% female, 41.5% sexual minority) using smartphone-based surveys over 30 consecutive days, analyzed with generalized estimating equations.
Why This Research Matters
Same-day use of multiple substances compounds health risks beyond what each substance poses individually. Identifying that sexual minority young adults are at elevated risk for this pattern helps target interventions for maximum impact.
The Bigger Picture
The daily diary method captures patterns of use that standard surveys miss. The elevated polysubstance use among sexual minority young adults likely reflects the cumulative stress of minority status and the social contexts in which substance use occurs.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
All participants were smokers, limiting generalizability. 30-day window may not capture longer-term patterns. Self-reported daily diary data. Specific reasons for polysubstance use not assessed.
Questions This Raises
- ?What drives the elevated polysubstance use among sexual minority young adults?
- ?Would interventions addressing minority stress reduce same-day multiple substance use?
- ?Does the health impact of combined use exceed the sum of individual substance effects?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 2.79x odds of using cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis on the same day
- Evidence Grade:
- Ecologically valid daily diary design with appropriate statistical methods, though smoker-only sample limits generalizability.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2021.
- Original Title:
- Same-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis among sexual minority and heterosexual young adult smokers.
- Published In:
- Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 35(2), 215-223 (2021)
- Authors:
- Nguyen, Nhung(13), McQuoid, Julia(5), Neilands, Torsten B(2), Dermody, Sarah S, Holmes, Louisa M, Ling, Pamela M, Thrul, Johannes
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03379
Evidence Hierarchy
Follows a group of people over time to track how outcomes develop.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do sexual minority young adults use more substances on the same day?
Yes. In this study, sexual minority participants had about twice the odds of using cigarettes and cannabis together, and nearly 3 times the odds of using all three substances (cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis) on the same day.
How common was same-day multiple substance use?
Across all participants, 18.1% of daily assessments included same-day cigarette and cannabis use, and 15.0% included use of all three substances.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03379APA
Nguyen, Nhung; McQuoid, Julia; Neilands, Torsten B; Dermody, Sarah S; Holmes, Louisa M; Ling, Pamela M; Thrul, Johannes. (2021). Same-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis among sexual minority and heterosexual young adult smokers.. Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 35(2), 215-223. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000678
MLA
Nguyen, Nhung, et al. "Same-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis among sexual minority and heterosexual young adult smokers.." Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000678
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Same-day use of cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis among sexu..." RTHC-03379. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/nguyen-2021-sameday-use-of-cigarettes
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.