Factors Influencing the Answerability and Popularity of a Health-Related Post in the Question-and-Answer Community: Infodemiology Study of Metafilter.
Q&A
dynamic network analysis
health consultation
health question and answers community
negative binomial regression
question-and-answer
user behavior
Journal
Journal of medical Internet research
ISSN: 1438-8871
Titre abrégé: J Med Internet Res
Pays: Canada
ID NLM: 100959882
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
17 11 2023
17 11 2023
Historique:
received:
09
05
2023
accepted:
18
10
2023
revised:
09
07
2023
medline:
27
11
2023
pubmed:
17
11
2023
entrez:
17
11
2023
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
The web-based health question-and-answer (Q&A) community has become the primary and handy way for people to access health information and knowledge directly. The objective of our study is to investigate how content-related, context-related, and user-related variables influence the answerability and popularity of health-related posts based on a user-dynamic, social network, and topic-dynamic semantic network, respectively. Full-scale data on health consultations were acquired from the Metafilter Q&A community. These variables were designed in terms of context, content, and contributors. Negative binomial regression models were used to examine the influence of these variables on the favorite and comment counts of a health-related post. A total of 18,099 post records were collected from a well-known Q&A community. The findings of this study include the following. Content-related variables have a strong impact on both the answerability and popularity of posts. Notably, sentiment values were positively related to favorite counts and negatively associated with comment counts. User-related variables significantly affected the answerability and popularity of posts. Specifically, participation intensity was positively related to comment count and negatively associated with favorite count. Sociability breadth only had a significant impact on comment count. Context-related variables have a more substantial influence on the popularity of posts than on their answerability. The topic diversity variable exhibits an inverse correlation with the comment count while manifesting a positive correlation with the favorite count. Nevertheless, topic intensity has a significant effect only on favorite count. The research results not only reveal the factors influencing the answerability and popularity of health-related posts, which can help them obtain high-quality answers more efficiently, but also provide a theoretical basis for platform operators to enhance user engagement within health Q&A communities.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
The web-based health question-and-answer (Q&A) community has become the primary and handy way for people to access health information and knowledge directly.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of our study is to investigate how content-related, context-related, and user-related variables influence the answerability and popularity of health-related posts based on a user-dynamic, social network, and topic-dynamic semantic network, respectively.
METHODS
Full-scale data on health consultations were acquired from the Metafilter Q&A community. These variables were designed in terms of context, content, and contributors. Negative binomial regression models were used to examine the influence of these variables on the favorite and comment counts of a health-related post.
RESULTS
A total of 18,099 post records were collected from a well-known Q&A community. The findings of this study include the following. Content-related variables have a strong impact on both the answerability and popularity of posts. Notably, sentiment values were positively related to favorite counts and negatively associated with comment counts. User-related variables significantly affected the answerability and popularity of posts. Specifically, participation intensity was positively related to comment count and negatively associated with favorite count. Sociability breadth only had a significant impact on comment count. Context-related variables have a more substantial influence on the popularity of posts than on their answerability. The topic diversity variable exhibits an inverse correlation with the comment count while manifesting a positive correlation with the favorite count. Nevertheless, topic intensity has a significant effect only on favorite count.
CONCLUSIONS
The research results not only reveal the factors influencing the answerability and popularity of health-related posts, which can help them obtain high-quality answers more efficiently, but also provide a theoretical basis for platform operators to enhance user engagement within health Q&A communities.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37976090
pii: v25i1e48858
doi: 10.2196/48858
pmc: PMC10692880
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
e48858Informations de copyright
©Jinqing Yang, Zhifeng Liu, Qicong Wang, Na Lu. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 17.11.2023.
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