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

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.