Most TikTok Videos on Inflammatory Bowel Disease Are Low Quality

FRIDAY, June 13, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The most-viewed inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) videos on TikTok provide low-quality medical information, according to a study published online in the May/June issue of Gastroenterology Nursing.

Samantha Winders, Ph.D., R.N., from the School of Nursing at the University of Washington in Seattle, and colleagues assessed the content and quality of the most-viewed TikTok videos related to IBD. Analysis included 86 of the 100 most-viewed videos under three hashtags: #ibd, #crohns, and #colitis.

The researchers found that all videos were made by individuals with IBD, and 83 percent were personal narratives. Eight main themes were identified including ostomy, advocacy, disease management, interactions with the health care system, symptoms, social relationships, negative impact of IBD, and complications. The videos were of poor quality (median DISCERN and global quality scores of 1.00 and 2.00, respectively).

“Social media platforms such as TikTok have the potential to reach a wide audience of people living with IBD, particularly young adults,” Winders said in a statement. “Our study finds problems with the quality of medical information provided by the most-viewed videos — suggesting opportunities for health care providers to create accurate content targeting gaps in IBD education.”

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