Factors Associated with Use of Cigars, Little Cigars, Cigarillos, and Blunts among Hip Hop Youth in the United States

Objectives: Despite their wide use, little is known about risk and protective factors associated with cigar, little cigar, and cigarillo (CLCC) and blunt use among United States (US) youth, including youth in the Hip Hop peer crowd. Methods: Data come from a majority black and Hispanic cross-sectional sample of 2187 Hip Hop youth ages 12 to 18 recruited via address-based sampling and social media in 2015. We used multivariable logistic regressions with covariates entered in blocks to test which participant characteristics were associated with (1) CLCC use and (2) blunt use. Results: Several cultural/environmental, social/normative, and intrapersonal factors were positively associated with CLCC and blunt use, eg, older age, peer cigarette and marijuana use, and lower perceived smoking risks. There were also unique positive correlates of each, including being non-Hispanic black (vs Hispanic), smoking being allowed in the home, having friends that smoke CLCCs, and experiencing poor mental health for CLCC use, and household tobacco use and sensation seeking for blunt use. Conclusions: Factors associated with CLCC and blunt use may be important in designing interventions to prevent their use. The associations among household tobacco use, sensation seeking, and blunt use among the Hip Hop peer crowd warrant future investigation.