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Cannabidiol (CBD) product regulatory efforts must be informed by research regarding consumer perceptions. This mixed-methods study examined CBD product information sources, knowledge, perceptions, use and use intentions among young adults. This study analyzed (i) Fall 2020 survey data from 2464 US young adults (M[subscript age] = 24.67, 51.4% ever users, 32.0% past 6-month users) and (ii) Spring 2021 qualitative interviews among 40 survey participants (27.5% past-month users). Overall, 97.9% of survey participants reported having heard of CBD, 51.4% ever/lifetime use and 32.0% past 6-month use. Survey participants learned about CBD from friends/family (58.9%), products/ads at retailers (36.4%), online content/ads (34.8%), CBD stores (27.5%) and social media (26.7%). One-fourth believed that CBD products were required to be US Food and Drug Administration-approved (24.9%), tested for safety (28.8%) and proven effective to be marketed for pain, anxiety, sleep, etc. (27.2%). Survey and interview participants perceived CBD as safe, socially acceptable and effective for addressing pain, anxiety and sleep. Interview findings expanded on prominent sources of marketing and product exposure, including online and specialty retailers (e.g. vape shops), and on participants' concerns regarding limited regulation and/or evidence regarding CBD's effectiveness/risks. Given young adults' misperceptions about CBD, surveillance of CBD knowledge, perceptions and use is critical as the CBD market expands.

Young adults' perceptions and use of heated tobacco products (HTPs) are understudied. This mixed methods study analyzed (i) Fall 2020 survey data from 2470 US young adults (mean[subscript age] = 24.67; 19.5% and 25.2% past-month cigarette and e-cigarette use; 4.1% ever HTP use) assessing HTP use intentions and perceptions (1 = not at all to 7 = extremely) and (ii) Spring 2021 interview data regarding IQOS (most widely available HTP) in a subset of 40 e-cigarette users. Among survey participants, HTPs versus cigarettes and e-cigarettes showed lower use intentions (mean = 1.27 vs. mean = 1.73, mean = 2.16) but were perceived as less addictive (mean = 5.11 vs. mean = 6.28, mean = 5.82) and harmful (mean = 5.37 vs. mean = 6.65, mean = 5.62). HTPs were perceived more socially acceptable than cigarettes but less than e-cigarettes (mean = 3.39 vs. mean = 3.13, mean = 4.37). Among interviewees, most reported limited HTP knowledge. A few perceived IQOS as a hybrid of traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Most perceived IQOS as harmful but less harmful than cigarettes and were uncertain in relation to e-cigarettes. Over half reported minimal interest in trying IQOS; common reasons included IQOS containing tobacco, limited flavors and use complexity. The varied perceptions of IQOS versus cigarettes and e-cigarettes underscore the need for continued surveillance of perceptions, use and marketing of IQOS to inform regulatory oversight and potential interventions.

Objective: The current study utilized a longitudinal person-centered approach (latent transition analysis [LTA]) to assess transitions into and out of risk-behavior profiles during the transition into and throughout the first year of college. Participants: Participants included 579 first-year college students (Mage = 18.13, SD = 0.94) from a large mid-Atlantic university. Methods: Participants completed surveys at five points throughout their freshman year. Results: LTA suggested that most individuals either abstained from engaging in risk behaviors or transitioned toward profiles of less risk over time. A smaller portion of individuals either began and ended the year in the same risk profile or transitioned into profiles of greater risk. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of utilizing person-centered analyses to examine change in multiple health-risk behaviors.

Given the global impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on mental and physical health, we examined young adults' changes in mental health, intimate relationship quality, alcohol use and weight-related behaviors during COVID-19 and their correlates (depressive symptoms, resilience, social context and COVID-19-related factors). We analyzed data from a longitudinal study of 1082 young adults across six metropolitan areas (M[subscript age] = 24.76 ± 4.70; 51.8% female; 73.6% White and 12.5% Hispanic), using multivariate linear regressions for continuous outcomes (magnitude of mental health impact) and logistic regressions for categorical outcomes (decreased relationship quality, physical activity and nutrition and increased alcohol use and sedentary behavior). Of five negative mental health impacts assessed, participants reported experiencing an average of 3.54 (SD = 5.46), experiencing more correlated with increased childcare responsibilities and lower resilience. Additionally, 23.6% of those in relationships experienced negative relationship impact, 41.3% increased alcohol use, 47.2% decreased physical activity, 74.0% were more sedentary and 34.7% experienced poorer nutrition, all of which was predicted by greater depressive symptoms. Additionally, lower resilience predicted negative relationship impact and poorer nutrition and social context/roles correlated with various outcomes (e.g. relationships and alcohol use). Interventions to reduce negative health behaviors given societal stressors should address key psychosocial and situational factors, including depressive symptoms and resilience.

Background and Objectives: Limited longitudinal research has examined differential interpersonal and intrapersonal correlates of young adult use and use frequency of cigarettes, e‐cigarettes, and cannabis. This study aimed to address these limitations. Methods: We analyzed five waves of longitudinal data (2018–2020) among 3006 US young adults (Mage = 24.55, 44% male, 32% sexual minority, ~30% racial/ethnic minority). Two‐part latent growth models examined likelihood of past‐month cigarette, e‐cigarette, and cannabis use (binary part) and days used (continuous part) and identified predictors (depressive symptoms, personality traits, adverse childhood experiences [ACEs], parental use) of baseline use and changes over time. Results: Regarding baseline past‐month use (27% cigarettes, 38% e‐cigarettes, 39% cannabis), depressive symptoms, ACEs, and parental substance use predicted use outcomes (i.e., likelihood, frequency) for each product; extraversion predicted cigarette and e‐cigarette use outcomes; openness predicted e‐cigarette and cannabis use outcomes; conscientiousness negatively predicted cigarette and cannabis use outcomes; and agreeableness negatively predicted cannabis use frequency. Regarding longitudinal changes, conscientiousness predicted accelerated increase of cigarette use frequency at later timepoints; depressive symptoms predicted increases in likelihood of e‐cigarette use but the association weakened over time; and parental cannabis use predicted decreased cannabis use frequency but the association weakened over time. Discussion and Conclusions: Young adult substance use interventions should target high‐risk subgroups and focus on distinct factors impacting use, including chronic, escalating, and decreasing use. Scientific Significance: This study advances the literature regarding distinct predictors of different substance use outcomes and provides unique data to inform interventions targeting young adult cigarette, e‐cigarette, and cannabis use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: This study examined young adults' tobacco use transitions based on their past 30‐day use states, and identified factors associated with their transitions. Methods: Participants (N = 12377) were young adults aged 18‐29 years at Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. Self‐reported tobacco use states were categorized by the number of past‐month use days (0, 1–4, 5–8, 9–12, 13–30 days) for cigarettes, electronic cigarettes [e‐cigarettes], traditional cigars, filtered cigars, cigarillos, smokeless tobacco (SLT), and hookah. Multistate Markov models examined transitions between use states across Waves 1–5 of unweighted PATH data and multinomial logistic regressions examined predictors of transitions. Results: Most young adults remained nonusers across adjacent waves for all products (88%–99%). Collapsed across waves, transitioning from use at any level to nonuse (average 46%–67%) was more common than transitioning from nonuse to use at any level (average 4%–10%). Several factors that predicted riskier patterns of use (i.e., transitioning to use and/or remaining a user across adjacent waves) were similar across most products: male, Black, Hispanic, lower education levels, and lower harm perceptions. In contrast, other factors predicted riskier patterns for only select products (e.g., e‐cigarette and SLT use among Whites). Discussion and Conclusions: Few sampled young adults escalated their tobacco use over time, and escalations for many products were predicted by similar factors. Scientific Significance: Prevention and regulatory efforts targeted towards adolescents should continue, but also be expanded into young adulthood. These same efforts should consider both shared and unique factors that influence use transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]