Journal article
Exposure to positive peer sentiment about nicotine replacement therapy in an online smoking cessation community is associated with NRT use
Addictive behaviors, Vol.87, pp.39-45
12/2018
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.06.022
PMCID: PMC6993115
PMID: 29940390
Abstract
Little is known about the influence of online peer interactions on health behavior change. This study examined the relationship between exposure to peer sentiment about nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in an online social network for smoking cessation and NRT use.
Participants were 3297 current smokers who enrolled in an Internet smoking cessation program, participated in a randomized trial, and completed a 3-month follow-up. Half received free NRT as part of the trial. Automated text classification identified 27,038 posts about NRT that one or more participants were exposed to in the social network. Sentiment towards NRT was rated on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Participants' exposure to peer sentiment about NRT was determined by analysis of clickstream data. Modified Poisson regression examined self-reported use of NRT at 3-months as a function of exposure to NRT sentiment, controlling for study arm and post exposure.
One in five participants (19.3%, n = 639) were exposed to any NRT-related posts (mean exposure = 6.5 ± 14.7, mean sentiment = 5.4 ± 0.8). The association between sentiment exposure and NRT use varied by receipt of free NRT. Greater exposure to positive NRT sentiment was associated with an increased likelihood of NRT use among participants who did not receive free NRT (adjusted rate ratio 1.22, 95% CI 1.01, 1.47; p = .043), whereas no such relationship was observed among participants who did receive free NRT (p = .48).
Exposure to positive sentiment about NRT was associated with increased NRT use when smokers obtained it on their own. Highlighting user-generated content containing positive NRT sentiment may increase NRT use among treatment-seeking smokers.
•Concerns about the safety and efficacy of NRT are common among treatment-seeking smokers.•Positive peer sentiment about NRT in an online social network increases the likelihood of use when smokers have to acquire NRT on their own.•When NRT is available for free, peer sentiment does not appear to influence NRT use.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Exposure to positive peer sentiment about nicotine replacement therapy in an online smoking cessation community is associated with NRT use
- Creators
- Jennifer L Pearson - University of Nevada, Reno, NV, United StatesMichael S Amato - Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research & Policy Studies, Truth Initiative, Washington, DC, United StatesGeorge D Papandonatos - Center for Statistical Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United StatesKang Zhao - Tippie College of Business, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United StatesBahar Erar - Center for Statistical Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, United StatesXi Wang - School of Information, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, ChinaSarah Cha - Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research & Policy Studies, Truth Initiative, Washington, DC, United StatesAmy M Cohn - Battelle Memorial Institute, Arlington, VA, United StatesAmanda L Graham - Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research & Policy Studies, Truth Initiative, Washington, DC, United States
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Addictive behaviors, Vol.87, pp.39-45
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.06.022
- PMID
- 29940390
- PMCID
- PMC6993115
- NLM abbreviation
- Addict Behav
- ISSN
- 0306-4603
- eISSN
- 1873-6327
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000054, name: National Cancer Institute; DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health; DOI: 10.13039/100000054, name: National Cancer Institute, award: R01CA192345, R01 CA192345; DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/2018
- Academic Unit
- Business Analytics
- Record Identifier
- 9984083213902771
Metrics
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