141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

292207
An exploration of the cultural-context of little cigar and cigarillo tobacco use among African American young adults: A content analysis of youtube videos

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Kentya Ford, DrPH, CHES , College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Ming-Ching Liang, M.A , School of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Motolani Ogunsanya, B.Pharm , College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX
Kymberle Sterling, DrPH, MPH
African American (AA) young adults (ages 18 - 25) reportedly consume greater quantities of little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs), one of the fastest growing tobacco products in the United States. Exposure to pro-LCC messages on media may contribute to such disproportionate burden among this population. Over-represented as YouTube users, African Americans may be susceptible to the influence of promotional video content that incorporates cultural cues. To understand the portrayals of LCCs and the presence of AA cultural cues in the contents of online videos, a content analysis on relevant YouTube clips was conducted.

The sample consisted of 243 unique clips returned by searches with seven keywords: “little cigars,” “cigarillos,” “Black and Mild,” “Swisher Sweets,” “White owl,” “Garcia y Vega,” and “Winchester.” The search results were sorted by relevance and view counts respectively, and the top 20 clips of each search were selected. Three trained coders will record (1) general information of clips, such as: video titles, numbers of likes and dislikes, video statistics from YouTube (including top locations and demographics), genre, and view count; (2) representation of LCCs, such as consumption patterns, contexts, brands, and products; and (3) presence of AA cultural cues, including actors, music, neighborhood indicators, apparel, and language. The analysis is in progress and detailed results will be available in two months. Results of this descriptive study can be used to initiate population-based studies that further explore the potential role of culture-based media influences that may encourage LCC use among AA young adults.

Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Analyze the content of little cigar videos on YouTube Describe the presence of African American cultural cues in YouTube videos that contain little cigar use

Keywords: African American, Tobacco

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to present because I administrated several programs focused on behavioral strategies to prevent and reduce cancer-related risk factors. I also serve as an assistant professor of the Health Outcomes and Pharmacy Practice Division of the College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.