Abstract
OBJECTIVE: In China, a large number of health-related short videos are posted on video platforms, including educational videos about irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). This study aimed to evaluate the reliability and quality of IBS-related video content on TikTok, Kwai and BiliBili. METHODS: Using 'irritable bowel syndrome' as the Chinese keyword, a new account was registered on each platform. On 1 November 2023, searches were conducted on TikTok, Kwai and BiliBili, and the top 100 recommended videos from each platform were analysed. After those that met the predefined exclusion criteria were removed, 244 short videos were included and evaluated for their characteristics, content, reliability and quality. Information quality was assessed using the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria, Global Quality Scale (GQS) and the modified Designed Information System Containing Evaluations of Reliability and Need (DISCERN) tool. Correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between video characteristics and video reliability and quality. RESULTS: A total of 244 eligible short videos were included. BiliBili videos were longer than TikTok and Kwai videos (p<0.001), and TikTok videos were more popular than Kwai and BiliBili videos. The proportion of health professionals was the highest on TikTok and the lowest on BiliBili. The proportion of general users was the highest on Kwai and the lowest on TikTok. The median JAMA scores of TikTok, Kwai and BiliBili videos were 3 (IQR 2-3), 3 (IQR 2-3) and 2 (IQR 2-3), respectively. The median GQS scores of TikTok, Kwai and BiliBili videos were 3 (IQR 2-4), 3 (IQR 2-4) and 3 (IQR 3-4), and the median modified DISCERN scores were 3 (IQR 2.75-3), 3 (IQR 3-3), and 3 (IQR 2-4), respectively. Video source was an influencing factor for JAMA scores, whereas video duration and source were influencing factors for GQS scores. The number of days since publication (r=0.19, p=0.003) and duration (r=0.27, p<0.001) were positively correlated with GQS scores, whereas likes (r=0.18, p=0.004), comments (r=0.21, p=0.001) and collections (r=0.21, p=0.001) were positively correlated with modified DISCERN scores. CONCLUSION: Short videos of IBS-related health information on TikTok, Kwai and BiliBili were of poor quality; however, videos uploaded by health professionals and science communicators were relatively more reliable and comprehensive. Thus, the public are recommended to learn about IBS-relevant information through videos uploaded by health professionals and science communicators.