Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118066

David H. Jolly, DrPH¹, Laura Fish, MSPH², Isaac Lipkus, PhD³, and Pauline Lyna². (1) Department of Health Education, North Carolina Central University, P.O. Box 19738, Durham, NC 27707, 919-530-7130, djolrhar@intrex.net, (2) Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duke University Medical Center, Box 2714, Durham, NC 27710, (3) Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, 905 West Main St., Box 34, Durham, NC 27701

As part of a one-year cohort study of influences on smoking tobacco among students at an historically Black university, we administered a screening survey to 684 freshmen shortly after the start of their first semester. Among the 344 (50.29%) who reported ever using tobacco products, students were more likely to report having smoked little cigars (74.13%) than either cigarettes (68.90%) or other cigars (33.43%). Likewise, among the 173 who reported smoking in the past 30 days, more students reported smoking little cigars (73.56%) in that period than cigarettes (43.68%). Both male and female students preferred little cigars to cigarettes, though the preference was stronger among males. To better understand the use of little cigars in this population we are conducting three focus groups with students who report current or past use of this product. These groups are exploring students' preference for little cigars, perceptions of little cigar smokers vs. cigarette smokers, brand preferences and marketing appeal, how and when they began smoking little cigars, and patterns and habits of little cigar vs. cigarette use (e.g., how much they smoke each product, how often, do they inhale, and the situations, settings and social context in which they smoke each product). In this session we will present both quantitative data from the screening survey and qualitative data from the focus groups, then discuss the implications of this information for designing programs to discourage smoking in African American young adults.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to

• Describe the extent to which students at a historically Black college smoke little cigars.
• Compare and contrast the use of little cigars with that of cigarettes among this population.
• Apply this information to the design of tobacco prevention programs for African American young adults.

Keywords: Tobacco, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation