Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Apr 21, 2023
Date Accepted: Oct 11, 2023
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited.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.
Topical Steroid Withdrawal on TikTok: a Content-Analysis of the Top 100 Videos
ABSTRACT
Background:
Social media platforms like TikTok are a very popular source of information, especially for skin diseases. It is of utmost importance to assess the quality and content of TikTok videos on Topical Steroid Withdrawal
Objective:
The aim of the study is to assess the quality and content of the top 100 videos of TSW on TikTok.
Methods:
This observational study assesses the content and quality of the top 100 videos about TSW on TikTok. Three independent scoring systems were used to assess the quality of the videos. The content of the videos were coded by two reviewers and analyzed for recurrent themes and topics.
Results:
The study found no consistent themes in the definition and etiology of TSW. Some common themes exist for symptoms and management, although most are not backed by scientific evidence. All videos assessed were published by personal accounts, indicating the total absence of active healthcare professionals in addressing the issue. The study highlights that the videos are of very poor quality according to all three quality measuring instruments.
Conclusions:
The videos posted on TikTok are of low quality and lack pertinent information. The content is varied and no consistency in description is present among the videos. Healthcare professionals, including dermatologists and residents in the field, need to be more active on the topic, to spread proper information and prevent an increase in steroid phobia.
Citation
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Copyright
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