Julia Chen-Sankey, Ph.D., M.P.P.

Dr. Julia Chen-Sankey

Postdoctoral Fellow
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
Project Title: “Built and socio-cultural environmental risk factors for cigar smoking among African American Young Adults.”

Cigar smoking is associated with adverse health outcomes, including lung, oral, and esophageal cancers. Use of cigar products has been on the rise in the U.S., and this trend is most visible in the African American population, particularly among African American young adults (AAYDs). Cigarillos, the most consumed cigar product in the U.S., contain more nicotine and tobacco toxins than regular cigarettes, and increase nicotine dependence. Previous work by Dr. Chen-Sankey using the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study survey showed that between 2015–2016, the prevalence of cigar smoking among AAYD (ages 18-24) was almost double of that seen in white young adults. One of the predominant health effects of cigar smoking is lung cancer, which is incidentally also the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in African Americans and the largest to cause cancer deaths in this population. Therefore, it is crucial to narrow the gap of cigar-related health disparities among African Americans while helping to reverse the trend of increased cigar consumption in this population.

Racial and ethnic minority populations, especially those living in urban/metropolitan settings, may be more prone to the influence of the surrounding environment on their tobacco use due to increased stressors from discrimination and financial constraints. Frequent exposure to cigar sales outlets, and cigar marketing and promotion targeting African Americans, may forge pro-cigar values and a culture that encourages cigar smoking in those settings. Dr. Chen-Sankey proposes to examine the environmental risk factors associated with cigar smoking among AAYDs. Both built environment (the physical spaces that individuals occupy to live, work, and play) and socio-cultural environment (the social, cultural, and health resources and environment) will be analyzed. Because cigar smoking among AAYDs of various education levels may be influenced by different environmental risk factors, the project also aims to investigate how these may influence cigar smoking differently among AAYDs from low and high education backgrounds.