The influence of childhood and early adult adversities on substance use behaviours in racial/ethnically diverse young adult women: a latent class analysis

Childhood and adult adversities occur more frequently among women and persons of colour, possibly influencing racial/ethnic disparities in substance use behaviours. This study investigates how childhood and adult adversities cluster together by race/ethnicity and how these clusters predict binge drinking, tobacco, e-cigarette, and marijuana use. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used in a combined sample from the 2015 to 2018 Minnesota College Student Health Survey to identify clusters of childhood and adult adversities among Asian, Black, Latina, and White women aged 18-25. Each substance use outcome was regressed on each adversity cluster across each race/ethnicity group. Across all racial/ethnic groups and substance use outcomes, the high adversity cluster exhibited the greatest risk. Significant racial/ethnic disparities were observed across several substance use behaviours; these were attenuated among women with fewer adversities. The reduced substance use disparities found among those with lower adversities suggest that prevention of adversities may advance health equity.