Alkhodair Rayan, Alfawzan Abdulrahman, Alharthi Sawsan A, AlOmair Abdulrahman, Alqerafi Abdulrahman, Alfaleh Abdullah
Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, King Abdulaziz Medical City.
Dermatology and Dermatological Surgery Department, Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Sex Transm Dis. 2025 Feb 1;52(2):81-86. doi: 10.1097/OLQ.0000000000002090. Epub 2024 Oct 29.
Sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis, pose a significant public health challenge. The advent of social media platforms has revolutionized health information dissemination, with YouTube and TikTok emerging as prominent sources. However, concerns persist regarding the reliability of syphilis-related content on these platforms. This study aimed to evaluate the quality and accuracy of syphilis-related content on TikTok and YouTube, using established tools such as DISCERN, Accuracy in Digital-health Instrument (ANDI), and Global Quality Scale (GQS).
We conducted a thorough search on TikTok and YouTube on November 26, 2023, using the keyword "syphilis." Inclusion criteria comprised videos in English, less than 20 minutes in duration, and relevance to syphilis. Two dermatologists independently rated 98 eligible videos using DISCERN, ANDI, and GQS. Statistical analyses included χ2 tests, mean comparisons, and interclass correlation.
TikTok videos exhibited higher mean views (222,519 ± 412,746) compared with YouTube (127,527 ± 223,622). However, TikTok videos had lower mean GQS (2.3 ± 0.9), ANDI (2.19 ± 0.99), and DISCERN (28.7 ± 6.56) scores compared with YouTube (GQS: 2.9 ± 1.1, ANDI: 2.90 ± 0.97, DISCERN: 38.8 ± 9). Nonprofessional uploaders were 40.8% on TikTok, whereas the value was 53.1% on YouTube.
This study reveals disparities in the quality and accuracy of syphilis-related content on TikTok and YouTube. Despite higher popularity on TikTok, content quality, as assessed by DISCERN, ANDI, and GQS, was generally lower compared with YouTube. Targeted interventions are needed to improve the reliability of syphilis-related information on social media platforms.
包括梅毒在内的性传播感染对公共卫生构成重大挑战。社交媒体平台的出现彻底改变了健康信息的传播方式，YouTube和TikTok成为了重要的信息来源。然而，人们对这些平台上与梅毒相关内容的可靠性仍存在担忧。本研究旨在使用DISCERN、数字健康工具准确性（ANDI）和全球质量量表（GQS）等既定工具，评估TikTok和YouTube上与梅毒相关内容的质量和准确性。
2023年11月26日，我们使用关键词“梅毒”在TikTok和YouTube上进行了全面搜索。纳入标准包括英语视频、时长少于20分钟且与梅毒相关。两名皮肤科医生使用DISCERN、ANDI和GQS对98个符合条件的视频进行了独立评分。统计分析包括卡方检验、均值比较和组内相关分析。
与YouTube（127,527±223,622）相比，TikTok视频的平均观看次数更高（222,519±412,746）。然而，与YouTube（GQS：2.9±1.1，ANDI：2.90±0.97，DISCERN：38.8±9）相比，TikTok视频的平均GQS（2.3±0.9）、ANDI（2.19±0.99）和DISCERN（28.7±6.56）得分更低。TikTok上非专业上传者的比例为40.8%，而YouTube上这一比例为53.1%。
本研究揭示了TikTok和YouTube上与梅毒相关内容在质量和准确性上的差异。尽管TikTok上的内容更受欢迎，但根据DISCERN、ANDI和GQS评估，其内容质量总体上低于YouTube。需要有针对性的干预措施来提高社交媒体平台上与梅毒相关信息的可靠性。
