J Cancer Educ. 2025 Apr 24. doi: 10.1007/s13187-025-02630-1. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Esophageal cancer is a prevalent cancer worldwide, with incidence rates rising significantly in recent years, particularly in high-risk regions where case numbers continue to escalate. As one of the most visited social media platforms globally, TikTok has emerged as a key source for health information. This study aims to evaluate Chinese TikTok videos on esophageal cancer, focusing on content integrity, informational quality, source credibility, usefulness, and reliability.: We assessed 246 esophageal cancer-related videos using the Content Integrity Score based on Goobie’s coding scheme for content evaluation and the DISCERN instrument for assessing information reliability and treatment guidance. Videos were categorized by duration, source, publication year, and user engagement metrics (likes, comments, favorites, shares). Statistical analysis was conducted using Shapiro-Wilk, Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc Bonferroni tests. Additionally, Spearman’s correlation analysis was applied to explore relationships between key quantitative variables. Of the videos analyzed, 212(86.2%) were uploaded by doctors, and 168(68.3%) lacked content related to risk factors. and 217(88.2%) had a quality score rated as poor or below. User engagement metrics, including likes, comments, saves, and shares, exhibited strong intercorrelations. However, only shares showed a weak correlation with DISCERN scores (R = 0.134, p = 0.036). Additionally, DISCERN scores were positively correlated with video duration (R = 0.352, p < 0.001). Chinese TikTok videos on esophageal cancer generally offer low-quality information that lacks accuracy and is insufficient for guiding patients in making informed health decisions. Given the low quality and reliability of such content, TikTok is not a suitable source for patient education.
PMID:40272765 | DOI:10.1007/s13187-025-02630-1
