Community and Opinion Leadership Effects on Vaping Discourse: A Network Analysis of Online Reddit Threads

Abstract

Reddit is a popular hub for discussing vaping. A deeper understanding of the factors that influence this online discourse could inform public health messaging efforts targeting this platform. Using a network analysis framework, we sought to investigate the role of opinion leaders and online communities in facilitating vaping discussions on Reddit. We collected Reddit submissions about vaping posted in May 2021 and used these submissions to generate subreddit-level (N=261) and thread-level (N=8,377) data sets. We coded subreddits into four community categories: 1) Vaping, 2) Substance use, 3) Cessation, and 4) Non-specific. We used sociometric in-degree centrality statistics to identify subreddit opinion leaders. We computed non-parametric ANOVAs and negative binomial regressions to test associations between opinion leadership and subreddit community category variables on subreddit network composition (comprised of subreddit-level network nodes and edges) and the number of commenters on Reddit threads about vaping (thread-level). Subreddit network composition was largely dependent on opinion leaders in Non-specific communities, and less so in Vaping and Substance use communities. At the thread-level, the rate of commenters was higher among threads initiated by opinion leaders than non-opinion leaders (adjusted rate ratio [aRR]=4.84). Furthermore, threads posted in Vaping (aRR=1.64), Substance use (aRR=1.92), and Cessation (aRR=1.21) communities had higher commenter rates than those posted in Non-specific communities. Communities and opinion leaders play a key role in the composition and reach of vaping discussions on Reddit. These findings provide a foundation for public health campaigns and interventions targeting Reddit and perhaps other social media platforms.

Disclosure Statement

JAR & VWR have served as paid consultants in litigation against tobacco companies. Opinions expressed by the authors are their own, and this material should not be interpreted as representing the official viewpoint of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, or the National Cancer Institute.

Data availability statement

The data underlying this article will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2023.2225447.

Additional information

Funding

JL was funded by the Cancer Prevention Fellowship from the National Cancer Institute – National Institutes of Health grant number 2T32CA057711-27.