Assessing community response to wildfire smoke: A multimethod study using social media

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Public Health
• Social Media Analysis

Background:

• Wildfire smoke poses significant public health risks.
• Social media platforms offer insights into community-level responses to environmental events.
• Understanding public perception of wildfire smoke is crucial for effective health communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate health-related responses to wildfire smoke on social media.
• To determine if seasonal wildfire smoke is a prominent topic on Twitter.
• To analyze the correlation between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and Twitter search terms related to wildfire smoke.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a conceptual model developed by healthcare and public health experts to identify search terms.
• Downloaded and analyzed wildfire-related tweets from Spokane, Washington, during the 2017 and 2018 wildfire seasons.
• Correlated PM2.5 data with Twitter search terms and employed deductive and inductive coding for tweet analysis.

Main Results:

• Seasonal wildfire smoke is an active topic on Twitter, with terms like "smoke" strongly correlating with poor air quality.
• Analysis revealed multidimensional community responses to wildfire smoke.
• New concerns, including impacts on pet and animal health, were identified through inductive analysis.

Conclusions:

• Social media serves as a valuable tool for public health professionals to assess and address community needs during wildfire events.
• Study findings will refine conceptual models for wildfire smoke surveillance.
• Enhanced understanding of community concerns will improve communication of protective actions during wildfire smoke events.