Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The gut-liver axis has emerged as a pivotal focus in hepatology and metabolic disease research. However, the quality of public-facing health information, particularly in short-form video content, remains largely unexamined. METHODS: Between January 2021 and October 2025, we systematically screened and analyzed 210 short videos (70 per platform) on the gut-liver axis. Basic metadata were extracted, and video quality was assessed using three validated tools: the modified DISCERN instrument, JAMA Benchmark Criteria, and Global Quality Score (GQS). Pearson correlation was used to explore associations between video metrics and quality scores. RESULTS: Bilibili videos showed the highest educational quality (mean GQS: 3.79), while TikTok videos had greater engagement (median likes: 74.00). Videos uploaded by healthcare professionals scored significantly higher across all quality measures (SUM score: 9.03 vs 3.87, p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between engagement metrics and content quality. CONCLUSION: A misalignment exists between user engagement and informational quality in gut-liver-related short videos. Content from verified health professionals delivers superior educational value yet remains algorithmically underprioritized. Efforts to enhance digital health communication should focus on promoting expert-led content, verifying source credentials, and integrating quality-weighted algorithms.