E-Cigarette Narratives of User-Generated Posts on Xiaohongshu in China: Content Analysis
Abstract
Background: Social media platforms have become influential spaces for disseminating information about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). Concerns persist about the spread of misleading content, particularly among social media vulnerable groups. Xiaohongshu (RedNote), widely used by Chinese youth, plays a growing role in shaping e-cigarette perceptions. Understanding the narratives circulating on this platform is essential for identifying misinformation, assessing public perception, and guiding future health communication strategies.
Objective: This study aimed to analyze the content, topics, user engagement, and sentiment trends of e-cigarette-related posts on Xiaohongshu and to assess the factors that influence engagement.
Methods: E-cigarette-related posts published on Xiaohongshu between January 2020 and November 2024 were collected using web scraping, based on a predefined keyword list and a time-stratified random sampling strategy. Posts were categorized into 4 themes: advertising promotion, health hazards, usage interaction, and others. High-frequency keywords were extracted, and representative quotes were included to illustrate user perspectives across each category. Sentiment analysis was performed on posts in the usage interaction category to assess public attitudes. We defined 4 sentiment categories: positive, negative, neutral, and mixed. Logistic regression was conducted to explore the effects of post type, content length, and thematic classification on user…
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