This study explores the interactions of the environmental barriers, coping behaviors, and personal characteristics of persons living with hepatitis B in China within the framework of Bandura's social cognitive theory. An analysis of 1,607 messages from an online support group revealed multiple barriers including institutional discrimination, relationship difficulty, alcohol-drinking social norm, limitations of the health care system and pharmaceutical market, and financial constraints. Major coping behaviors were identified as seeking health and reproductive advice, avoiding disclosure and discrimination, protecting legal rights, preventing transmission, and outreaching support behaviors. At the intrapersonal level, a combatant identity was constructed in the online community. The combatant identity was significantly associated with high self-efficacy, positive emotions, and outreaching support behaviors, but it was not significantly associated with environmental barriers. The constructed online combatant identity appeared to be support-focused instead of politically oriented.
