Preeclampsia information on social media: A cross-sectional analysis of content, quality, and reliability

Preeclampsia is a serious hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. Many patients nowadays turn to social media platforms for help. This study aimed to assess the quality of preeclampsia-related videos on popular social media platforms.

In this cross-sectional study, preeclampsia-related videos were collected from Douyin and YouTube on a single day. Videos were extracted for basic characteristics, engagement metrics, and uploader types. Video quality was assessed using four validated tools: the Global Quality Scale (GQS), modified DISCERN, JAMA benchmark criteria, and the Content Completeness Score (CCS). Statistical analyses included descriptive analysis, non-parametric tests and the Spearman correlation analysis.

188 videos (87 from YouTube, 101 from Douyin) were included. YouTube videos were significantly longer than Douyin videos (median 166.00 vs. 101.00 s, p < 0.05), but Douyin videos had drastically higher user engagement (likes, comments; p < 0.05). Douyin videos scored higher on overall quality but had statistically lower reliability score (mDISCERN median: 2.00 vs. 2.00, Z = -3.12, p < 0.05). No significant difference was found between platforms for transparency and content completeness. Videos from institutional and professional sources had higher scores across all quality metrics than those from individual uploaders. Notably, user engagement metrics showed weak or negligible correlations with all measures of informational quality and completeness on both platforms.

The reliability of preeclampsia information on both Douyin and YouTube was suboptimal and inconsistent. Higher social engagement does not guarantee higher informational quality. These findings underscore the need for users to critically evaluate sources.