Tobacco, marijuana, and alcohol use in university students: a cluster analysis.

OBJECTIVE Segmentation of populations may facilitate development of targeted substance abuse prevention programs. The authors aimed to partition a national sample of university students according to profiles based on substance use. PARTICIPANTS The authors used 2008-2009 data from the National College Health Assessment from the American College Health Association. The sample consisted of 111,245 individuals from 158 institutions. METHODS The sample was partitioned using cluster analysis according to current substance use behaviors. The association of cluster membership with individual and institutional characteristics was examined. RESULTS Cluster analysis yielded 6 distinct clusters. Three individual factors--gender, year in school, and fraternity/sorority membership--were the most strongly associated with cluster membership. CONCLUSIONS In a large sample of university students, the authors were able to identify 6 distinct patterns of substance abuse. It may be valuable to target specific populations of college-aged substance users based on individual factors. However, comprehensive intervention will require a multifaceted approach.