The quality and reliability of acne-related information on Douyin and Bilibili: A cross-sectional study

Acne is a highly prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease that significantly impacts patients' physical and mental health. This study aimed to evaluate the content, quality, and reliability of acne-related videos on Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) and Bilibili. Videos were searched on Douyin and Bilibili using the keyword "acne" on January 1, 2026. Video characteristics, including video duration, engagement metrics, uploader identity, and content, were collected. Video quality and reliability were assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and the modified DISCERN instrument (mDISCERN). The Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used for subgroup comparisons, and Spearman rank correlation was used for correlation analysis. A total of 262 videos were included in this study. Video content predominantly focused on treatment (41.85% of 325 content category entries), with limited coverage of etiology (16.00%) and prevention (6.76%).The median GQS score for the overall videos was 2.00 (interquartile range: 1.00-3.00), and the median mDISCERN score was 2.00 (interquartile range: 1.00-2.00). The GQS and mDISCERN scores for Douyin videos were significantly higher than those for Bilibili (P < .05). Videos uploaded by specialized healthcare personnel had the highest GQS and mDISCERN scores (P < .05). Likes, collections, and comments were not significantly correlated with mDISCERN scores (P > .05). The quality and reliability of acne-related videos on Douyin and Bilibili were generally suboptimal, with specialized healthcare personnel-uploaded videos achieving the highest quality and reliability scores. Engagement metrics were not significantly associated with video reliability. Platform operators should strengthen content governance, encourage greater participation of qualified healthcare providers, and optimize dissemination strategies to promote high-quality, evidence-based acne information.