Developing Measures of Little Cigar Use for Young Adults

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): While cigarette consumption among adults has recently declined, Little Cigar consumption has increased. Evidence suggests that minority young adults, ages 18-25, living in low-income communities use Little Cigars more often than their white peers. This is troubling; Little Cigars have higher levels of cancer-causing substances than cigarettes. Evidence-based interventions are needed to prevent Little Cigar use and reduce cancer risk among these groups. Before interventions are developed measures of Little Cigar use and psychosocial determinants should be developed. The proposed research aims to develop and pilot test measures of Little Cigar use and its psychosocial determinants among racially/ethnically-diverse young adults. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Impact Statement This proposed study will address a gap in tobacco control knowledge by developing measures for an emerging tobacco product, Little Cigars. These measures will allow us to quantify Little Cigar usage and more importantly measure the beliefs and social and cultural experiences of racial/ethnically diverse young adult smokers, who are not typically targeted in tobacco-related measurement development studies. Thus, the proposed study impacts cancer prevention research by developing measures to estimate Little Cigar use and its determinants among racially/ethnically diverse young adults, and will lead to additional studies that will identify characteristics of Little Cigar young adult smokers who need cessation interventions. Pilot data generated from this study will assist the PI in developing additional studies that will use these measures to track usage, test hypotheses about the determinants of Little Cigar use, and use behavioral change theoretical frameworks to intervene on modifiable factors that may influence Little Cigar use among racially/ethnically diverse young adults.