Analysis of the content, quality, and reliability of sarcopenia-related videos on TikTok and Bilibili: A cross-sectional study

With the rapid growth of short video platforms, TikTok and Bilibili are becoming important channels for the public to access health information. Given that Asia is underrepresented in English-language medical literature, this study focuses on Mandarin Chinese videos to provide region-specific insights. This study aims to evaluate the content, quality, reliability, and transparency of sarcopenia-related videos on TikTok and Bilibili. Using the keyword “sarcopenia,” a search was conducted on TikTok and Bilibili to retrieve the top 150 videos based on the comprehensive ranking. Video duration, engagement metrics, uploader type, and content information were extracted. Videos were evaluated using the Global Quality Score (GQS), modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, and content completeness scores. Group comparisons were performed using Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests, and correlation analysis was performed using Spearman correlation. A total of 188 videos were included. The content primarily focused on symptoms and treatment, with less coverage on diagnosis and prognosis. The median GQS score was 2.00 (interquartile range [IQR]: 2.00–3.00), the median mDISCERN score was 2.00 (IQR: 1.75–3.00), the median JAMA score was 1.00 (IQR: 1.00–1.00), and the median content completeness score was 6.00 (IQR: 3.00–9.00). Compared with nonprofessional individuals and nonprofessional organizations, videos uploaded by professional individuals achieved higher scores in GQS, mDISCERN, JAMA, and content completeness ( P  < .05). No significant correlations were found between engagement metrics and mDISCERN scores ( P  > .05). The overall quality and reliability of sarcopenia-related videos on TikTok and Bilibili are suboptimal. Videos uploaded by professional individuals demonstrated higher quality and reliability. Future efforts should strengthen platform content oversight, encourage more professional individuals to contribute to health education, and promote the dissemination of high-quality videos.