![]() For instance, some scholars found a positive impact of relational capital (e.g. However, researchers have reported conflicting findings on motivations for knowledge sharing when studying different online communities from the social capital view. Given smokers' unique features and needs, the motivation beyond their knowledge sharing in smoking cessation OHCs might differ from those in other online communities.Īs the literature shows, knowledge sharing in online communities involves social interactions among people in online social networks, and social capital has been posited to be an important determinant of knowledge sharing in this context ( Chiu et al., 2006 Wasko and Faraj, 2005). The psychological or emotional additions to smoking can be addressed from negative (such as sadness and fear) to positive (such as joy and pleasure) by engaging in online social networks ( Granado-Font et al., 2018). Unlike clinical diseases that rely primarily on physical treatments and medications, smoking cessation could be achieved via nonpharmacological interventions, such as interacting with counselors or peers ( Maseeh and Kwatra, 2005). Also, a smoker may suffer from unpleasant withdrawal symptoms during the smoking cessation process, such as irritability, headaches and cravings, and specific personalized information from smoking cessation OHCs might be able to aid in dealing with such struggles in smoking cessation, beyond what general guidelines smoking cessation professionals offer. ![]() Some of them might doubt their chances of success in quitting because of past failures in this regard and hence turn to the OHC for support, to improve their confidence and coping skills as they attempt to kick the habit. One factor that sets these online communities apart from others is a shared aim of eliminating what the members share in common that is, most users of smoking cessation OHCs are smokers who want to stop using tobacco products. Chai et al., 2011 Chiu et al., 2006 Mojdeh et al., 2018 Zhao et al., 2016), smoking cessation OHCs have been largely ignored thus far. While knowledge sharing in online communities has been subject to research in various contexts (e.g. Thus, it is important to investigate knowledge sharing behavior in smoking cessation OHCs. These advantages notwithstanding, questions remain as to what motivates users to share their knowledge of smoking cessation in smoking cessation OHCs, which is critical for the success of online communities ( Chiu et al., 2006). Studies have found that participating in smoking cessation OHCs may lead to positive smoking cessation outcomes, such as achieving 30-day point-prevalence abstinence after short-term use of the OHCs ( Graham et al., 2015) and preventing relapse ( Cheung et al., 2015). ![]() In contrast, smoking cessation OHCs that promise anonymity may offer an empathic environment where smokers can share quitting-related information and support each other. For instance, 8% of respondents in research by Stuber and Galea (2009) reported concealing their smoking status from a health provider because of concerns about smoking-related stigma. Furthermore, smoking cessation OHCs can offer a setting free of the social stigma (discrimination, prejudices and shame) that can arise from social pressure against smoking ( Brown-Johnson and Popova, 2016 Castaldelli-Maia et al., 2016). Users may share their experience of the process of quitting, related struggles and support for others in the OHCs without disclosing their identity. face-to-face one-on-one counseling or group-based behavior therapy): OHCs provide around-the-clock access to an extended social network of ex-smokers and current smokers who share similar smoking cessation experiences, and the interaction with peers in these communities can be anonymous. Smoking cessation OHCs provide support differently from offline venues (e.g. ![]() Smoking cessation OHCs are collectives of people who interact with each other over the Internet to give up smoking ( Mpinganjira, 2018). With the popularity of Web 2.0, millions of smokers have turned to the Internet for help in quitting ( Graham and Amato, 2019), with one avenue being participation in online health communities (OHCs) designed for this aim ( Graham et al., 2015). The full terms of this licence may be seen at Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Copyright © 2021, Chenglong Li, Hongxiu Li, Reima Suomi and Yong Liu License
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