Public education messages about cigarillo harms for Black young adults
Official title: Effective Cigarillo Public Education Messaging for Black Young Adults
Run by Drexel University · NCT06863168 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether three types of public education messages change harm beliefs, outcome expectations, and intentions about cigarillo use among Black young adults aged 18–30 who are at risk of starting cigarillo smoking.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years to 30 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 360 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Drexel University Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | April 17, 2025 |
| Main results expected | November 30, 2025 |
| Study ends | August 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | July 2, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT06863168 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are non-Hispanic Black/African American individuals aged 18–30 who are susceptible to cigarillo smoking or occasionally smoke cigarillos but have not been regular users of other tobacco products.
✕Probably not a fit
People who already smoke cigarillos daily, have a history of regular use of other tobacco products, are outside the 18–30 age range, or do not identify as non-Hispanic Black/African American are unlikely to benefit from these messages as tested in this project.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a three-arm randomized controlled trial delivered online that compares different public education messages about cigarillo health harms and nicotine addiction, including messages contextualized to outcome expectancies. Participants are non-Hispanic Black or African American adults aged 18–30 who are susceptible to cigarillo use or currently smoke cigarillos some days but are not regular users, recruited via online research panels. Primary outcomes are harm perceptions, outcome expectancies, and intentions measured at 1- and 3-month follow-ups, with exploratory outcomes including actual initiation and use behaviors at 3 months. Consent, baseline assessment, randomization, message exposure, and follow-up surveys are all conducted online.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the messages could increase perceived harm and decrease intentions to use cigarillos, helping prevent cigarillo uptake among at-risk young adults.
How similar studies have gone: Related public education and tobacco messaging studies have reduced intentions and increased perceived harm for some tobacco products, but message-specific evidence for cigarillos among Black young adults is limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Be between 18 to 30 years of age; * Self-identify as non-Hispanic Black or African American ethnicity and race, respectively; * Must be able to communicate, read, and write in the English language; * Have never used cigarillos fairly regularly based on a valid measure but are deemed susceptible to cigarillo smoking based on a valid 4-item susceptibility measure; OR currently smokes cigarillos some days but not every day (i.e., experimentation) * And must have no history of fairly regular use of any other tobacco products (i.e., little cigars, large cigars, cigarettes, hookah tobacco, electronic vaping products, smokeless tobacco, and heated tobacco products) Exclusion Criteria: * Persons who are younger than 18 years of age or older than 30 years of age. * Persons who do not self-identify as a non-Hispanic Black/African American person. * Persons who are not deemed susceptible based on a valid susceptibility measure (i.e., not susceptible to cigarillo smoking) * Persons who have fairly regular use of any tobacco product (i.e., persons with a former or current established pattern of any tobacco use including cigarillos, little cigars, large cigars, cigarettes, hookah tobacco, electronic vaping products, smokeless tobacco, and heated tobacco products) * Persons who are unable to read, write, and communicate in English language. The informed consent and other materials, including surveys, are only available in the English language for this study. Additionally, trained staff members that will communicate and interact with participants for this study can only speak in English.
Where it's running
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Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Recruiting -
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Lilianna Phan, PhD, MPH, MS
- Email: lp954@drexel.edu
- Phone: 267-359-6069
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.