Evaluation of the Information Quality of Bone Mineral Density–Related Videos on TikTok

Background TikTok has emerged as a prominent source of health information for the general public. However, the quality of bone mineral density (BMD)-related content on the platform remains largely unevaluated using validated tools. Objective This study aimed to assess the information quality of BMD-related videos on TikTok via the Global Quality Score (GQS), the DISCERN instrument, and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and to examine the relationship between video quality and viewer engagement metrics. Methods The top 100 videos based on the default relevance ranking for the keyword "bone mineral density" were retrieved on September 10, 2025. Video characteristics, uploader type, and engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, view count) were recorded. Two independent raters assessed information quality via the GQS, DISCERN, and JAMA instruments. Interrater reliability was high (class correlation coefficient = 0.89). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Kruskal‒Wallis tests with post hoc Dunn's tests (Bonferroni-corrected), and Spearman correlation analysis. Results The largest proportion of videos were produced by science communicators (51%, n = 51), defined as individuals or organizations without verifiable medical credentials, followed by medical professionals (40%, n = 40) and news media outlets (9%, n = 9). The overall quality of videos was suboptimal across all assessment tools. The mean total DISCERN score was 42.5 (SD = 16.8), with only 11% of the videos rated as "excellent" and 46% rated as "poor" or "very poor". Consistent with this finding, the mean GQS and JAMA scores were also low at 2.73 (SD = 1.32) and 2.47 (SD = 1.09), respectively. Compared with those uploaded by science communicators, videos uploaded by medical professionals scored significantly higher across all the quality instruments (e.g., DISCERN total score: mean = 51.75, SD = 16.81) (mean = 34.88, SD = 11.84; p < 0.001). A weak but significant negative correlation was found between the view count and DISCERN score (ρ = -0.20, p = 0.042), indicating that greater popularity was associated with lower information quality. Conclusion The overall quality of BMD-related content on TikTok is suboptimal, with popular videos often lacking accuracy and depth. There is a critical need for improved quality control, collaboration between health professionals and content creators, and platform-led initiatives to increase the reliability of health information disseminated via social media.