Dynamics Analysis of a Betel Nut Addiction Spreading Model on Scale-Free Networks

Abstract

Medical research has shown that overeating betel nut can be addictive and can damage health. More serious cases may cause mouth cancer and other diseases. Even worse, people’s behavior habit of chewing betel nut may influence each other through social interaction with direct or indirect ways, such as face-to-face communication, Facebook, Twitter, microblog, and WeChat, which leads to the spreading phenomenon of betel nut addiction. In order to investigate the dynamic spreading characteristics of betel nut addiction, a PMSR (Potential-Mild-Severe-Recovered) betel nut addiction spreading model is presented on scale-free networks. The basic reproductive number R0 and equilibria are derived. Theoretical results indicate that the basic reproductive number R0 is significantly dependent on the topology of the underlying networks, and some influence parameters. The existence of equilibria is determined by the basic reproductive number R0. Furthermore, we prove that if R0<1 the addiction-elimination equilibrium is globally asymptotically stable. If R0>1, the betel nut addiction spreading is permanent, and the addiction-prevailing equilibrium is globally attractive. Finally, numerical simulations confirm the theoretical analysis results.