The quality and reliability of short videos about cervical spondylosis on TikTok and Redbook: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically evaluate the quality, reliability, understandability, and actionability of short videos related to cervical spondylosis on TikTok and Redbook, and to compare differences across platforms, uploader sources, and treatment modalities.

METHODS

On February 1, 2026, the top 100 videos ranked by comprehensive relevance were retrieved from both platforms using the Chinese keyword "cervical spondylosis". Two researchers independently screened videos and assessed video quality and reliability using the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and the modified DISCERN tool (mDISCERN), while the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) was employed to evaluate understandability (PEMAT-U) and actionability (PEMAT-A). Basic video characteristics and engagement metrics were recorded, and stratified analyses were performed based on uploader professional background and video content.

RESULTS

A total of 143 videos were included (80 from TikTok, 63 from Redbook). Overall, video quality was moderate, with median GQS and mDISCERN scores of 3.00, and median PEMAT-U and PEMAT-A scores of 75.00% and 67.00%, respectively. TikTok videos demonstrated significantly higher engagement metrics, GQS, and mDISCERN scores compared to Redbook videos (all P < 0.05). Orthopedic professionals were the primary contributors (59.4%), and videos uploaded by orthopedic and rehabilitation professionals achieved significantly higher GQS and PEMAT-U scores than those from other-field professionals (both P < 0.05). Rehabilitation intervention videos (accounting for 80.3%) scored significantly higher across all quality assessment domains compared to surgical intervention videos (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed only weak to moderate associations between engagement metrics and quality scores (ρ = 0.22-0.41), indicating that video popularity does not reflect content quality.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall quality of cervical spondylosis-related short videos on TikTok and Redbook is moderate, with significant variations across platforms and uploader sources. Content from professional sources and rehabilitation interventions demonstrates superior quality, but video popularity does not equate to quality. The public should not rely solely on engagement metrics to judge video reliability. There is an urgent need to encourage more professional medical involvement in health science popularization and to strengthen platform content review mechanisms.