JMIR infodemiology最新文献

{"title":"Social Media and the Evolution of Vaccine Preferences During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Discrete Choice Experiment.","authors":"Robbie Maris, Zack Dorner, Stephane Hess, Steven Tucker","doi":"10.2196/66081","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/66081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Vaccine information and misinformation are spread through social media in ways that may vary by platform. Understanding the role social media plays in shaping vaccine preferences is crucial for policymakers and researchers.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to test whether social media use is associated with changes in vaccine preferences during the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, and whether trust in sources of information has a moderating role.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Our data consist of a balanced panel of 257 web-based respondents in New Zealand in August 2020, October-November 2020, and March-April 2021. We use a novel approach with stated choice panel data to study transitions between different vaccine preference groups. We analyze the associations between these transitions and social media use. We classify respondents as resistant (never chose a vaccine), hesitant (chose a vaccine between 1 and 5 times), and provaccine (chose a vaccine 6 out of 6 times) in each wave of data.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found a positive or neutral association between social media use and vaccine uptake. Facebook, Twitter (pre-2022), and TikTok users who are provaccine are less likely to become hesitant or resistant. Facebook and Instagram users who are hesitant are more likely to become pro. Some social media platforms may have a more positive association with vaccine uptake preferences for those who do not trust the government.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The paper contributes to the wider literature, which shows social media can be associated with reinforcing both pro and antivaccination sentiment, and these results depend on where individuals get their information from and their trust in such sources.</p>","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e66081"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144176011","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tracking Public Interest in Rare Diseases and Eosinophilic Disorders in Germany: Web Search Analysis.","authors":"Michael Hindelang, Sebastian Sitaru, Alexander Zink","doi":"10.2196/69040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/69040","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Eosinophilia and hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) are rare disorders grouped under the term hypereosinophilic disorders. They are diagnosed based on an increased number of eosinophils. They can also cause serious symptoms, including skin, lung, and gastrointestinal problems. These disorders are very rarely recognized due to their rarity and misdiagnosis.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study analyzes public interest in hypereosinophilic disorders using data on internet search volume in Germany between 2020 and 2023. Objectives include identifying frequently searched terms, evaluating temporal trends, analyzing seasonal patterns, evaluating geographic differences in search behavior, and identifying unmet information needs and frequently searched risk factors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective analysis using Google Ads Keyword Planner gathered monthly search volume data for 12 German terms related to hypereosinophilic disorders. These terms were selected based on their medical relevance and common usage identified from medical literature. Data were analyzed descriptively, with trends, seasonal variations, and geographical distributions examined. Chi-square tests and correlation analysis assessed statistical significance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 178 keywords were identified, resulting in a search volume of 1,745,540 queries. The top keyword was \"eosophile,\" a misspelling, followed by \"eosinophilia\" and \"HES.\" The main categories included \"Eosinophilia,\" \"Eosinophils,\" and \"Churg-Strauss syndrome.\" Temporal analysis showed seasonal growth in search volumes, peaking in January 2023, with higher interest during winter. Geographical analysis showed regional variations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This research shows a growing public interest in eosinophilic diseases, reflected by a steadily increasing search volume over time. This is particularly evident in searches for basic definitions and diagnostic criteria, such as \"eosinophils\" or \"symptoms of eosinophilic diseases.\" This increase in search volume, which peaked in January 2023, indicates an increased interest in accurate and readily available information for rare conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e69040"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144152892","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Postpartum Depression and Maternal-Infant Bonding Experiences in Social Media Videos: Qualitative Content Analysis.","authors":"Kunmi Sobowale, Jamie Sarah Castleman, Sophia Yingruo Zhao","doi":"10.2196/59125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/59125","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While the negative effects of postpartum depression on maternal-infant bonding are well-documented, our understanding of how it exerts these effects remains incomplete. A better understanding of how maternal postpartum depression affects bonding can enable clinicians to better identify and support mothers with difficulties bonding with their children.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to describe the bonding experiences of mothers with postpartum depression through an analysis of short-form videos and user engagement.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We collected publicly available highly-viewed TikTok videos using hashtags associated with postpartum depression and associated engagement metrics in May 2023. After manual screening, we extracted 533 videos related to the mother-infant bond, from which we analyzed a random subset of 159 videos. We abstracted categories from videos using a hybrid deductive and inductive approach. Negative binomial regression models of video likes, views, shares, and comment count were used with content categories and the creator's numbers of followers as independent variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Abstraction of content from mother-infant bond videos resulted in six categories: (1) navigating anxiety and anger, (2) creating physical and emotional boundaries, (3) overwhelmed by demands of caregiving, (4) subverted expectations, (5) enduring and finding strength through the challenge of postpartum depression, and (6) can't remember early life. Subverted expectations and navigating anxiety and anger categories were associated with increased views (rate ratio [RR] 1.72, 95% CI 1.22-2.43; RR 1.61, 95% CI 1.09-2.38, respectively), likes (RR 3.61, 95% CI 2.55-5.11; RR 3.96, 95% CI 2.69-5.85, respectively), shares (RR 2.95, 95%CI 2.09-4.18; RR 2.45, 95% CI 1.66-3.61, respectively), and comments (RR 2.78, 95% CI 1.97-3.94; RR 1.89, 95% CI 1.28-2.79, respectively). Sensitivity analysis with creators with fewer followers mostly aligned with these results.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This qualitative content analysis of short-form videos identified specific ways postpartum depression impacts the mother-infant bond, highlighting strategies for clinicians to support bonding. Analysis of engagement metrics further demonstrated the types of experiences that most resonate with viewers. Our findings demonstrate the potential of this qualitative method to augment understanding of lived experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e59125"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144082639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Shifting Narratives in Media Coverage Across a Decade of Drug Discourse in the Philadelphia Inquirer: Qualitative Sentiment Analysis.","authors":"Layla Bouzoubaa, Ramtin Ehsani, Preetha Chatterjee, Rezvaneh Rezapour","doi":"10.2196/56004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/56004","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The media has immense power in shaping public narratives surrounding sensitive topics such as substance use. Its portrayals can unintentionally fuel harmful stereotypes and stigma, negatively impacting individuals struggling with addiction, influencing policy decisions, and hindering broader public health efforts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;This study aimed to examine how the regional newspaper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, covered events related to illicit drug use between 2013 and 2022, focusing on linguistic patterns and themes associated with specific types of substances.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We collected a dataset of 157,476 articles published in The Philadelphia Inquirer between 2013 and 2022 and categorized mentioned substances into 8 classes: stimulants, narcotics, cannabis, hallucinogens, depressants, designer drugs, drugs of concern, and treatment medications. From these 157,476 articles, we identified 3661 (2.32%) that mentioned at least 1 substance with potential for misuse. Using dynamic topic modeling, we analyzed thematic evolution in coverage across different drug classes. We then applied aspect-based sentiment analysis to extract the most significant phrases mentioned in each distinct drug class annually and examined the sentiments around these aspects to understand shifting discourse patterns.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Cannabis (1575/3661, 43.02%) and narcotics (1361/3661, 37.17%) dominated the coverage, with 2018 showing peak drug-related reporting (666/3661, 18.19%). Our substance co-occurrence analysis revealed that heroin was most frequently discussed alongside treatment medications (methadone, naloxone, and buprenorphine), reflecting evolving approaches to opioid use disorder. Topic modeling revealed distinct themes across drug classes: legislative and medical aspects dominated cannabis coverage, while narcotics coverage focused heavily on overdose deaths and safe injection sites, particularly during 2017 to 2018. Stimulant coverage centered on feature news and crime-related reporting, while treatment coverage showed an increasing focus on overdose prevention by 2021. The aspect-based sentiment analysis showed that 74.3% (165/222) of extracted aspects were portrayed negatively across all drug classes, with narcotics maintaining consistently negative sentiment throughout the period. However, some drug classes showed notable evolution: hallucinogens demonstrated a marked shift in sentiment score (SS) from negative coverage in 2013 (-0.79 SS) to positive coverage of therapeutic applications by 2021 (+0.47 SS), while cannabis coverage reflected complex societal debates, with industry and business aspects showing strong positive sentiment score peaks (0.64 SS in 2019) even as legislation and policy aspects remained volatile (-0.76 SS in 2013 to 0.61 SS in 2019 and declining to -0.31 SS by 2022).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Our analysis revealed a predominance of negat","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e56004"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144032207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Infodemic Versus Viral Information Spread: Key Differences and Open Challenges.","authors":"Matteo Cinelli, Francesco Gesualdo","doi":"10.2196/57455","DOIUrl":"10.2196/57455","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Unlabelled: </strong>As we move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk of future infodemics remains significant, driven by emerging health crises and the increasing influence of artificial intelligence in the information ecosystem. During periods of apparent stability, proactive efforts to advance infodemiology are essential for enhancing preparedness and improving public health outcomes. This requires a thorough examination of the foundations of this evolving discipline, particularly in understanding how to accurately identify an infodemic at the appropriate time and scale, and how to distinguish it from other processes of viral information spread, both within and outside the realm of public health. In this paper, we integrate expertise from data science and public health to examine the key differences between information production during an infodemic and viral information spread. We explore both clear and subtle distinctions, including context and contingency (ie, the association of an infodemic and viral information spread with a health crisis); information dynamics in terms of volume, spread, and predictability; the role of misinformation and information voids; societal impact; and mitigation strategies. By analyzing these differences, we highlight challenges and open questions. These include whether an infodemic is solely associated with pandemics or whether it could arise from other health emergencies; if infodemics are limited to health-related issues or if they could emerge from crises initially unrelated to health (like climate events); and whether infodemics are exclusively global phenomena or if they can occur on national or local scales. Finally, we propose directions for future quantitative research to help the scientific community more robustly differentiate between these phenomena and develop tailored management strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e57455"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12077852/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144058730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring Topics, Emotions, and Sentiments in Health Organization Posts and Public Responses on Instagram: Content Analysis.","authors":"Abigail Paradise Vit, Avi Magid","doi":"10.2196/70576","DOIUrl":"10.2196/70576","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Social media is a vital tool for health organizations, enabling them to share evidence-based information, educate the public, correct misinformation, and support a more informed and healthier society.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to categorize health organizations' content on social media into topics; examine public engagement, sentiment, and emotional responses to these topics; and identify gaps in fear between health organizations' messages and the public response.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Real data were collected from the official Instagram accounts of health organizations worldwide. The BERTopic algorithm for topic modeling was used to categorize health organizations' posts into distinct topics. For each identified topic, we analyzed the engagement metrics (number of comments and likes) of posts categorized under the same topic, calculating the average engagement received. We examined the sentiment and emotional content of both posts and responses within the same topic, providing insights into the distributions of sentiment and emotions for each topic. Special attention was given to identifying emotions, such as fear, expressed in the posts and responses. In addition, a linguistic analysis and an analysis of sentiments and emotions over time were conducted.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 6082 posts and 82,982 comments were collected from the official Instagram accounts of 8 health organizations. The study revealed that topics related to COVID-19, vaccines, and humanitarian crises (such as the Ukraine conflict and the war in Gaza) generated the highest engagement. Our sentiment analysis of the responses to health organizations' posts showed that topics related to vaccines and monkeypox generated the highest percentage of negative responses. Fear was the dominant emotion expressed in the posts' text, while the public's responses showed more varied emotions, with anger notably high in discussions around vaccines. Gaps were observed between the level of fear conveyed in posts published by health organizations and in the fear conveyed in the public's responses to such posts, especially regarding mask wearing during COVID-19 and the influenza vaccine.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study underscores the importance of transparent communication that considers the emotional and sentiment-driven responses of the public on social media, particularly regarding vaccines. Understanding the psychological and social dynamics associated with public interaction with health information online can help health organizations achieve public health goals, fostering trust, countering misinformation, and promoting informed health behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e70576"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12084776/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144043373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Natural Language Processing and Machine Learning Techniques for Analyzing Conversations About Nutritional Yeasts in the United States and France: Retrospective Social Media Listening Study.","authors":"Jean-François Jeanne, Joelle Malaab, Antoine Vanhove, Florian Mourey, Manissa Talmatkadi, Stéphane Schück","doi":"10.2196/60528","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/60528","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Nutritional yeast, an inactive form of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has recently become increasingly popular as a food supplement and healthy ingredient, especially among individuals following plant-based diets. It is valued for its health benefits and high content of B vitamins, minerals, and protein. Social media has enabled people to share information and personal experiences at an unprecedented level, further amplifying conversations around health and nutrition. With the rise of social media, data mining techniques like natural language processing and machine learning are increasingly used for analyzing the large amounts of information generated on these platforms.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to analyze social media data from the United States and France to identify the most frequently discussed topics among nutritional yeast consumers. The objective was to fill gaps in our understanding of the perceptions, experiences, and usage trends related to nutritional yeast.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was retrospective, using social media data geolocated in the United States and France, posted by users discussing nutritional yeast between December 2017 and September 2023. Data cleaning and filtering were done using natural language processing methods and specific algorithms. Biterm topic modeling was applied to identify the most frequently discussed topics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 36,642 posts written by 28,069 users discussing nutritional yeast were identified across 1039 publicly available online sources. This included 34,292 posts from the United States (26,154 users across 994 sources) and 2350 from France (n=1915 users across 45 sources). Twitter was the most commonly used platform in both countries, accounting for 39.6% of posts in the United States (13,587/34,292) and 84.3% in France (1982/2350). In the United States, conversations centered around the role of nutritional yeast role as a vegan nutrient source (n=12,345, 36.0%). Several users highlighted its culinary versatility as a natural seasoning (n=8093, 23.6%) and its health and skin benefits (n=6173, 18.0%). In France, discussions frequently focused on nutritional yeast's use in dietary supplement routines in various forms (n=1177, 50.1%), emphasizing its benefits alongside other supplements such as castor oil, particularly noted for effects on nails and hair (n=928, 39.5%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This social media listening study identified the perceptions and preferences of nutritional yeast users in France and the United States. Researchers and health care professionals can reflect on these findings to investigate the potential health benefits of nutritional yeast for specific groups and its long-term impact on different diets and lifestyles. Marketers may also use this information to create customized strategies that better align with the preferences and needs of each market.</p>","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e60528"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12061346/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144029409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the Content and Quality of Videos Related to Hypertrophic Scarring on TikTok in China: Cross-Sectional Study.","authors":"Jiangkun Wang, Kai Xu, Juanjuan Wu, Wen Liang, Weiming Qiu, Song Wang","doi":"10.2196/64792","DOIUrl":"10.2196/64792","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hypertrophic scars (HTSs) are a predominant condition after burns and trauma, and it causes severe physiological and psychological problems. TikTok (Douyin in Chinese), a popular platform for sharing short videos, has shown the potential to spread health information, including information related to HTSs. Educating the public to obtain correct information is important to reduce the incidence of physiological and psychological problems caused by HTSs. However, the quality and reliability of HTS-related video content on TikTok in mainland China have not been thoroughly studied.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aims to evaluate the content and quality of short videos related to HTSs on the Chinese version of TikTok (Douyin) and explore the factors related to their quality, providing valuable insights for health information dissemination.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We collected a sample of 153 TikTok videos in Chinese related to HTSs and categorized them according to video source and content. We evaluated the video content using a coding schema, and a hexagonal radar schema was used to intuitively display the spotlight and weight of each aspect of the videos. We evaluated quality using 4 standardized tools: the modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) questionnaire, the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Global Quality Scale (GQS), and the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct. We also explored the potential relationship between video quality and characteristics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis showed that health care professionals uploaded all videos about treating HTSs, which matched the hexagonal radar model analysis findings. The quality assessment scores for the Journal of the American Medical Association, GQS, mDISCERN, and the Health on the Net Foundation Code of Conduct had median values of 1 (IQR 1-2), 2 (IQR 2-3), 2 (IQR 2-3), and 3 (IQR 3-4), respectively, indicating a need to improve the quality and reliability of videos on HTSs. In addition, high-quality videos were more popular, based on metrics such as likes, comments, favorites, and shares (P<.001). Interestingly, the time when the videos were uploaded positively correlated with GQS and mDISCERN scores (r=0.393; P<.001 and r=0.273; P<.001), while the video length did not significantly correlate with evaluation scores (P=.78, P=.20, P=.07, and P=.04).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The quality of TikTok videos related to HTSs is generally moderate. Users should exercise caution when seeking information on HTSs from TikTok. It is advisable to choose videos uploaded by health care professionals from the burn department and the burn plastic surgery department, and in the Chinese context, those produced in first-tier cities and emerging first-tier cities.</p>","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e64792"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12076032/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143999864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"#GenderAffirmingHormoneTherapy and Health Information on TikTok: Thematic Content Analysis.","authors":"Julia Rose Beatini, Nora Yanyi Sun, Julianna K Coleman, Maetal E Haas-Kogan, Andrea Pelletier, Deborah Bartz, Alex Sogomon Keuroghlian","doi":"10.2196/66845","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/66845","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Transgender and gender diverse people often turn to online platforms for information and support regarding gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT); however, analysis of this social media content remains scarce.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>We characterized GAHT-related videos on TikTok to highlight the implications relevant to GAHT prescribers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used a web scraper to identify TikTok videos posted under the hashtags #genderaffirminghormonetherapy and #genderaffirminghormones as of November 2023. We identified recurrent themes via qualitative content analysis and assessed health education videos with the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V) scale and a modified Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose (CRAAP) test.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of 69 videos extracted, 71% (49/69) were created by GAHT users, 24.6% (17/69) were created by health care workers, and 21.7% (15/69) were created to provide health education. Themes included physical changes on testosterone, GAHT access, and combating misinformation and stigma surrounding GAHT. Health education videos scored highly on PEMAT-A/V items assessing understandability (mean 88.3%, SD 11.3%) and lower on actionability (mean 60.0%, SD 45.8%). On the CRAAP test, videos scored highly on the relevance, authority, and purpose domains but lower on the currency and accuracy domains.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Discussions of GAHT on TikTok build community among transgender and gender diverse users, provide a platform for digital activism and resistance against legislation that limits GAHT access, and foster patient-provider dialogue. Educational videos are highly understandable and are created by reliable sources, but they vary in terms of currency and quality of supporting evidence, and they lack in actionability.</p>","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e66845"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12054967/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144058023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Large-Scale Deep Learning-Enabled Infodemiological Analysis of Substance Use Patterns on Social Media: Insights From the COVID-19 Pandemic.","authors":"Julina Maharjan, Jianfeng Zhu, Jennifer King, NhatHai Phan, Deric Kenne, Ruoming Jin","doi":"10.2196/59076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2196/59076","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the challenges associated with mental health and substance use (SU), with societal and economic upheavals leading to heightened stress and increased reliance on drugs as a coping mechanism. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from June 2020 showed that 13% of Americans used substances more frequently due to pandemic-related stress, accompanied by an 18% rise in drug overdoses early in the year. Simultaneously, a significant increase in social media engagement provided unique insights into these trends. Our study analyzed social media data from January 2019 to December 2021 to identify changes in SU patterns across the pandemic timeline, aiming to inform effective public health interventions.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;This study aims to analyze SU from large-scale social media data during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the prepandemic and postpandemic periods as baseline and consequence periods. The objective was to examine the patterns related to a broader spectrum of drug types with underlying themes, aiming to provide a more comprehensive understanding of SU trends during the COVID-19 pandemic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We leveraged a deep learning model, Robustly Optimized Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers Pretraining Approach (RoBERTa), to analyze 1.13 billion Twitter (subsequently rebranded X) posts from January 2019 to December 2021, aiming to identify SU posts. The model's performance was enhanced by a human-in-the-loop strategy that subsequently enriched the annotated data used during the fine-tuning phase. To gain insights into SU trends over the study period, we applied a range of statistical techniques, including trend analysis, k-means clustering, topic modeling, and thematic analysis. In addition, we integrated the system into a real-time application designed for monitoring and preventing SU within specific geographic locations.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Our research identified 9 million SU posts in the studied period. Compared to 2019 and 2021, the most substantial display of SU-related posts occurred in 2020, with a sharp 21% increase within 3 days of the global COVID-19 pandemic declaration. Alcohol and cannabinoids remained the most discussed substances throughout the research period. The pandemic particularly influenced the rise in nonillicit substances, such as alcohol, prescription medication, and cannabinoids. In addition, thematic analysis highlighted COVID-19, mental health, and economic stress as the leading issues that contributed to the influx of substance-related posts during the study period.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;This study demonstrates the potential of leveraging social media data for real-time detection of SU trends during global crises. By uncovering how factors such as mental health and economic stress drive SU spikes, particularly in alcohol and prescription medication, we offer ","PeriodicalId":73554,"journal":{"name":"JMIR infodemiology","volume":"5 ","pages":"e59076"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12046268/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144008603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}