An Empirical Analysis on Communications about Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) in Chinese Social Media

China, with a smoking population of over 350 million, is the largest potential market for electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). The importance of understanding how ENDS are promoted and discussed in China cannot be overstated. However, related research is sparse. This study aims to explore the nature and extent of discussions around ENDS in Chinese social media, which have the power to influence a massive audience. We collected the data from Sina Weibo, which is one of the most popular Chinese microblogging sites. The dataset, which consisted of 999 messages, was analyzed in terms of polarities, genres and discussion topics. Statistical test and regression analysis were used to explore whether those features of messages will affect the message popularity, which was measured by repost number and comment number. The results of our study showed that 1) The majority of the messages were Pro-ENDS; 2) The number of comments received by messages of different genes varies significantly; 3) Whether a message contains specific topics or not will affect the comment number.