Currently submitted to: JMIR Infodemiology
Date Submitted: May 29, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Jun 10, 2026 - Aug 5, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
The communication of risks associated with GLP-1 receptor agonists: An AI-powered content analysis of TikTok videos
ABSTRACT
Background:
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) are medications that reduce appetite and have become increasingly popular due to their evidenced weight management potential. However, very little is known about how the potential risks and side effects are communicated in online social media platforms.
Objective:
The current study aimed to explore how the risks associated with GLP-1RA are communicated in TikTok videos.
Methods:
Videos with GLP-1RA hashtags (e.g., Mounjaro, Ozempic, Semaglutide, Tirzepatide), were retrieved from TikTok via Apify. An artificial intelligence (AI) agent was built to use a codebook whose design was based on theoretical frameworks of risk communication.
Results:
4,340 TikTok videos were analyzed (783.7M views, 29.0M likes), 35.1% addressed risks. The most common videos were: personal experience, patient creators, and testimony. Few detailed risks (4.6%) or warned about misinformation (15.8%). Videos emphasizing risk yielded more shares (+44.0%) and comments (+49.8%); gain-framed content earned bookmarks (+44.7%); misinformation warnings raised likes (+41.2%) and comments (+38.7%); healthcare professionals and patients drew comments (+69.2%, +93.1%); calls to action reduced likes (−22.8%).
Conclusions:
Platforms must control unevidenced, potentially harmful content whereas governments and health authorities should proactively deliver rigorous, evidence-based GLP-1RA information via social media.
Citation
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