Patterns of Tobacco and Cannabis Use Among Sexual Minority Females and Males From PATH Wave 5: The Role of Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates

Authors

Katelyn F. Romm, TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Carla J. Berg, Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Yan Wang, Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Amy M. Cohn, TSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1-28-2024

Journal

Substance use & addiction journal

DOI

10.1177/29767342231222245

Keywords

cannabis; co-use; mental health; risk factors; sexual minority; substance use; tobacco

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Although sexual minority (SM; vs heterosexual) individuals display higher rates of tobacco and cannabis use, limited research has examined sociodemographic and psychosocial correlates of single and co-use among this population. METHODS: Participants were SM-identifying female (N = 2419;  = 27.80; 50.0% racial/ethnic minority) and male (N = 1142;  = 30.34; 46.1% racial/ethnic minority) adults from Wave 5 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study. Multinomial logistic regressions examined sociodemographic (ie, sexual identity, age, race/ethnicity, education, income) and psychosocial (ie, alcohol use, mental health, substance use) correlates of single and co-use (ie, no use [referent], tobacco-only, cannabis-only, co-use), controlling for state cannabis legalization, among SM females and males, separately. RESULTS: The proportions of SM females reporting no use, tobacco-only, cannabis-only, and co-use were 37.9%, 24.0%, 10.5%, and 27.6%, respectively. Among males, 40.6%, 27.8%, 10.1%, and 21.5% reported no use, tobacco-only, cannabis-only, and co-use, respectively. Among females and males, substance use problems were associated with all 3 use groups (vs no use); past-month alcohol use was associated with cannabis-only and co-use; and mental health symptoms were associated with co-use (and cannabis-only in males). Sociodemographic correlates among females were: tobacco-only-identifying as bisexual (vs lesbian), White (vs Black), older, lower education, and lower income; cannabis-only-bisexual, other race (vs White); and co-use-White (vs Hispanic), lower education, and lower income. Among males, sociodemographic correlates were: tobacco-only-older, lower education, and lower income; cannabis-only-Black (vs White) and higher income. CONCLUSIONS: Public health efforts to reduce tobacco and cannabis use among SM adults should target single versus co-use patterns and their corresponding sociodemographic, mental health, and substance use profiles.

APA Citation

Romm, Katelyn F.; Berg, Carla J.; Wang, Yan; and Cohn, Amy M., "Patterns of Tobacco and Cannabis Use Among Sexual Minority Females and Males From PATH Wave 5: The Role of Sociodemographic and Psychosocial Correlates" (2024). GW Authored Works. Paper 4116.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/4116

Department

Prevention and Community Health