Tobacco use is a prominent cause of preventable health disparities between White and Black individuals. Although the lifetime prevalence of tobacco use is lower for Black than it is for White individuals, Black adolescents are less likely to quit tobacco once they initiate use. In the long run, Black individuals suffer disproportionately from tobacco-related death and diseases. In this study, we employ a theoretically grounded and innovative conceptual model to examine Black-White differences in tobacco use across multiple intersecting domains and levels of influence. Our analyses aim to elucidate unique patterns of risk and protective factors over time and their relation to tobacco use in the long run. This study’s findings will advance our understanding of diminished gains for Black individuals from standard tobacco control approaches. Further, this developmental study will identify new potential therapeutic targets for clinical and public health intervention development.
This project is funded by the National Institutes of Health (1R21MD016473-01A1). Dr. Adriana Espinosa from The City University of New York is the principal investigator of this grant.