Perceptions of Menthol Cigarettes Among Twitter Users: Content and Sentiment Analysis

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Media Analysis
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Menthol cigarette use is disproportionately high among African Americans, women, and adolescents.
• Twitter usage patterns align with these demographic groups, making it a valuable platform for studying menthol cigarette perceptions.
• Social media conversations offer insights into social norms, behavioral intentions, and sentiment regarding menthol cigarettes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the content, frequency, and themes of conversations about menthol cigarettes on Twitter.
• To analyze user demographics, smoking status, co-use of other substances, tweet characteristics, and sentiment.
• To examine differences in menthol cigarette sentiment across various categories to inform targeted communication strategies.

Main Methods:

• A large dataset of 94,627 menthol cigarette-relevant tweets was collected from Twitter (February 2012 - January 2013).
• Tweets were analyzed using a combination of machine classification and human coding of a 7,000-tweet sample.
• Sentiment analysis categorized tweets as positive or negative towards menthol cigarettes.

Main Results:

• Nearly half (47.98%) of tweets expressed positive sentiment towards menthol cigarettes, while 40.26% were negative.
• Likely smokers predominantly expressed positive sentiment (65.70%), whereas non-smokers (91.2%) and former smokers (71.7%) expressed negative views.
• Positive sentiment was linked to discussions of addiction, marijuana, taste, and marketing, while negative sentiment focused on cessation, health, and specific demographic groups.

Conclusions:

• Social media analysis provides a window into public opinion on menthol cigarettes.
• Understanding sentiment variations is crucial for developing effective public health communication campaigns.
• Insights can inform regulatory discussions and interventions concerning menthol cigarette use.