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Latent Profile Analysis of Anxiety Sensitivity in Relation to Drinking Motives and Alcohol Use Patterns in Undergraduates

Geyer, Rachel Beth
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0725-4666
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1725141622236547

Abstract Details

2025, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Psychology.
There are many consequences associated with college alcohol use, including missing classes, assault, injury, and death. Thus, studying factors related to alcohol use in undergraduates is needed. One such factor is anxiety sensitivity, or fearing one’s own anxiety-related sensations and their potential consequences. Anxiety sensitivity has three lower-order subcomponents: physical, cognitive, and social concerns, each with individual items corresponding to fears of specific anxiety-related sensations. Less is known about relations of anxiety sensitivity at the item-level and key alcohol use variables that confer risk for negative consequences. We investigated relations between anxiety sensitivity and drinking patterns in undergraduates using latent profile analysis (LPA), which organizes individuals from a larger population into subgroups. In Aim I, we investigated subgroups of undergraduates based upon anxiety sensitivity items. The six-class solution controlling for anxiety and depression was determined to be the optimal fit. The six-class solution consisted of classes with low (Class 1) and moderate-low (Class 2) levels across all ASI-3 items, moderate-high (Class 5) and high (Class 6) levels across all ASI-3 items, moderate-low physical concerns items with moderate-high social/cognitive items (Class 3), and moderate-high physical concerns with moderate-low cognitive/social concerns (Class 4). In Aim 2, we investigated differences in these six classes in alcohol use patterns (consumption, motives, and problems), and demographics using ANOVAs and chi-square analyses. Overall, Class 6 had the most clinically severe drinking patterns. Class 1 exhibited the lowest level of alcohol use motives and problems, and had a higher proportion of individuals identifying as men and as straight in comparison to the other classes. Notably, Class 3 (7% of the sample) emerged as an important focal point for future research, due to its relation to higher coping motives for drinking, compared to the other “moderate” anxiety sensitivity classes. Taken together, patterns distinguish this group from the other moderate classes, and the findings suggest that those who belong to Class 3 may benefit from targeting cognitive and social anxiety sensitivity concerns, as well as additional assessment for coping-related drinking motives.
Rose Marie Ward (Committee Chair)
Veronica Barrios (Committee Member)
Elizabeth Kiel (Committee Member)
Aaron Luebbe (Committee Member)
59 p.
Clinical Psychology
Anxiety sensitivity, alcohol use problems, drinking motives, latent profile analysis

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Geyer, R. B. (2025). Latent Profile Analysis of Anxiety Sensitivity in Relation to Drinking Motives and Alcohol Use Patterns in Undergraduates [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1725141622236547

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Geyer, Rachel. Latent Profile Analysis of Anxiety Sensitivity in Relation to Drinking Motives and Alcohol Use Patterns in Undergraduates. 2025. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1725141622236547.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Geyer, Rachel. "Latent Profile Analysis of Anxiety Sensitivity in Relation to Drinking Motives and Alcohol Use Patterns in Undergraduates." Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2025. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1725141622236547

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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