Mapping the AIDS Week Health Campaign on Social Media in China: A Mixed-Method Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to explore the dissemination of HIV/AIDS-related information and risk factors on social media during AIDS Weeks, helping policymakers and public health organizations understand how the public utilizes social media to formulate strategies for AIDS health campaigns better. This study used Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and sentiment analysis to investigate the distribution of themes and people’s reactions during AIDS Weeks. Additionally, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was employed to further examine the social structures, cultural contexts, and power dynamics underlying the discourse. From 2018 to 2021, 48437 posts were analyzed, revealing 21 topics coded and categorized into six main themes: Response Methods, Specific Topics, Promotion, Virus Status, Specific Groups, and Positive Feedback. Critical discourse analysis uncovered a parallel trend of demonstrating both threat and efficacy in AIDS Week promotion in China. However, the lack of actionable prevention information may reduce behavioral intentions. The top-down implementation approach ensures efficient execution at all levels but also results in formalism during AIDS Week. Text themes vary annually based on slogans and social contexts, requiring localization for effective implementation and overcoming cultural barriers detrimental to health promotion. Cultural context and social structures contribute to issues such as formalism and stigmatization of marginalized groups. We suggest enhancing user engagement and interaction through social platforms during AIDS Week activities. Collaboration between public health organizations and social media companies can further increase public awareness of the disease, mitigate societal biases, and provide accurate and practical prevention guidance.