Post Birth Control Syndrome Narratives on TikTok: A Content Analysis

Area of Science:

• Social Media Health Communication
• Digital Health Behavior
• Health Risk Communication

Background:

• Social media platforms like TikTok are increasingly used for health information dissemination.
• Understanding how health risks and coping strategies are communicated on these platforms is crucial.
• The hashtag #postbirthcontrolsyndrome (PBCS) is a growing area of discussion, necessitating analysis of its content.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how TikTok videos tagged #postbirthcontrolsyndrome communicate health risks and coping strategies.
• To assess the use of threat, fear, and efficacy appeals within these videos using the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM).
• To differentiate communication strategies based on creator type (healthcare provider, content creator, regular user).

Main Methods:

• Content analysis of the top 100 TikTok videos using the #postbirthcontrolsyndrome hashtag.
• Coding videos for EPPM variables (threat, fear, efficacy).
• Categorizing videos by creator type and analyzing engagement metrics (likes, comments, saves).

Main Results:

• Content creators often depicted post-birth control syndrome (PBCS) as severe and highlighted side effects.
• Healthcare providers more frequently emphasized PBCS prevalence and offered management strategies.
• Videos with severe symptom descriptions received more comments, while preparatory strategy videos garnered more saves.

Conclusions:

• TikTok content on PBCS frequently employs fear-based messaging with insufficient efficacy information, potentially impacting contraceptive choices.
• Discrepancies in content framing between creators and healthcare providers underscore the need for more evidence-based communication.
• User engagement is driven by both fear appeals and actionable advice, emphasizing the importance of balanced health messaging on social media.