Half of IBS Videos Shared on TikTok Posted by Influencers have poor educational content - Physician's Weekly

[Health Reporter]

Half of IBS Videos Shared on TikTok Posted by Influencers  Physician's Weekly

Nearly half of the TikTok videos on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are shared by social media influencers and have poor educational content, according to the results of a study presented at the American College of Gastroenterology Annual Scientific Meeting.

Faraz Jafri, MD-candidate, and colleagues noted that user-generated content about IBS is among the most popular health topics on TikTok.

“Posts with the #IBS have garnered 1.6 billion views, with many accounts dedicated to helping people deal with IBS,” Jafri said in a statement. “This ‘DIY’ approach to IBS has taken off on TikTok with posts regarding diet, lifestyle, medicine, and product advertisement.”

Two independent reviewers examined 100 videos under the hashtag #IBS for source, number of views, intent, and content. The researchers classified the source or entity who posted the video as influencer, lay individual, or medical professional; content categories included comedy, lifestyle and acceptability, marketing, and medical advice. Overall quality, understandability, and actionability was evaluated using The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audiovisual Materials (PEMAT-A/V) and JAMA benchmark criteria.

View the full article