Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with significant public health implications. Social media platforms like Instagram have emerged as influential tools for health communication, yet the quality and reliability of content remain variable. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the nature, accuracy, reliability, and overall educational quality of AD-related content disseminated on Instagram, to determine whether the information provided is evidence-based, appropriately sourced, and suitable for public health education. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted over 20 days in January 2025, analyzing posts from six popular Alzheimer's-related hashtags. A total of 600 posts were screened, of which 288 met the inclusion criteria. Posts were assessed for type, uploader category, content category, factual accuracy, Global Quality Score (GQS), and Reliability Score. Statistical comparisons were made between two groups of posts based on content accuracy and quality. Among the 288 posts analyzed, 162 (56.25%) were images and 126 (43.75%) were videos. Doctors (90, 30.94%) and researchers (82, 28.47%) were the most common uploaders. The majority of posts focused on etiology (66, 22.19%), prevention (60, 20.88%), and symptoms (60, 20.88%). Only 120 (51.9%) posts in Group A were factually accurate, compared to 22 (38.59%) in Group B (P < 0.000001). The mean GQS and Reliability Score were significantly higher in Group A (2.28 ± 1.04 and 2.29 ± 1.21) than in Group B (1.93 ± 1.10 and 1.72 ± 1.09), indicating better quality and trustworthiness of content. Instagram serves as a widely used platform for disseminating Alzheimer's-related information. However, the overall quality and reliability of content are suboptimal, with less than half of the posts being factually accurate. Healthcare professionals and researchers tend to produce more credible content, while posts from patients and non-medical users are less reliable. There is a pressing need to promote the creation and amplification of evidence-based, high-quality content to enhance public understanding and support for AD.