Quality, Reliability, and Engagement of Lumbar Disc Herniation Videos Across Major Short-Video Platforms: A Cross-Platform Analysis

Quality, Reliability, and Engagement of Lumbar Disc Herniation Videos Across Major Short-Video Platforms: A Cross-Platform Analysis | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Quality, Reliability, and Engagement of Lumbar Disc Herniation Videos Across Major Short-Video Platforms: A Cross-Platform Analysis Pei Chen, Qi Zhou, Jingyi Cai, Xueshuai Liu, Xing Wang, Jun Hu This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8780255/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background and Objective Short-video platforms have become major sources of medical information, yet the quality of lumbar disc herniation (LDH)–related content remains unclear across China’s most widely used platforms. To evaluate the quality, reliability, transparency, and engagement of LDH-related short videos on TikTok, Bilibili, and Kuaishou. Methods A cross-sectional analysis of 297 Chinese-language LDH videos (100 per platform) was conducted. Videos were categorized by uploader type and content theme and assessed using DISCERN, JAMA benchmarks, and the Global Quality Score (GQS). Engagement metrics and platform differences were examined using appropriate statistical tests. Results Professional creators produced 69.1% of videos, with traditional Chinese medicine practitioners contributing the largest proportion. Overall information quality was low, with most DISCERN items scoring 1–2. Spine specialists and other medical specialists achieved significantly higher DISCERN Section 2 and Q16 scores than traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Preventive content had the poorest quality. Bilibili videos demonstrated higher adherence to DISCERN and JAMA Q1–Q2 criteria, whereas TikTok and Kuaishou generated substantially greater engagement but lower quality scores. JAMA currency and disclosure standards (Q3–Q4) showed 0% compliance across all platforms. Quality metrics showed only weak correlations with engagement. Conclusions LDH-related short videos on major Chinese platforms exhibit low overall quality, limited transparency, and substantial platform- and creator-level variation. Enhancing content standards, improving verification mechanisms, and promoting evidence-based communication are essential to strengthen the reliability of spinal health information on short-video platforms. Health sciences/Diseases Health sciences/Health care Health sciences/Medical research Lumbar disc herniation short-video platforms DISCERN JAMA information quality patient education Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Supplementaryfiles.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 06 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 03 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 30 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 12 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 09 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 26 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 17 Feb, 2026 Editor invited by journal 11 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 09 Feb, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 09 Feb, 2026 First submitted to journal 03 Feb, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8780255","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":593110210,"identity":"e61c724d-4ad5-48e0-a471-3abc7b2827bd","order_by":0,"name":"Pei Chen","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Wuhan Puai Hospital","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Pei","middleName":"","lastName":"Chen","suffix":""},{"id":593110211,"identity":"3a791ddb-dc56-453d-acfd-19be845c6b24","order_by":1,"name":"Qi Zhou","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hubei University for 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short-video platforms, DISCERN, JAMA, information quality, patient education","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8780255/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8780255/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground and Objective\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShort-video platforms have become major sources of medical information, yet the quality of lumbar disc herniation (LDH)–related content remains unclear across China’s most widely used platforms. To evaluate the quality, reliability, transparency, and engagement of LDH-related short videos on TikTok, Bilibili, and Kuaishou.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cross-sectional analysis of 297 Chinese-language LDH videos (100 per platform) was conducted. Videos were categorized by uploader type and content theme and assessed using DISCERN, JAMA benchmarks, and the Global Quality Score (GQS). Engagement metrics and platform differences were examined using appropriate statistical tests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProfessional creators produced 69.1% of videos, with traditional Chinese medicine practitioners contributing the largest proportion. Overall information quality was low, with most DISCERN items scoring 1–2. Spine specialists and other medical specialists achieved significantly higher DISCERN Section 2 and Q16 scores than traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. Preventive content had the poorest quality. Bilibili videos demonstrated higher adherence to DISCERN and JAMA Q1–Q2 criteria, whereas TikTok and Kuaishou generated substantially greater engagement but lower quality scores. JAMA currency and disclosure standards (Q3–Q4) showed 0% compliance across all platforms. Quality metrics showed only weak correlations with engagement.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLDH-related short videos on major Chinese platforms exhibit low overall quality, limited transparency, and substantial platform- and creator-level variation. Enhancing content standards, improving verification mechanisms, and promoting evidence-based communication are essential to strengthen the reliability of spinal health information on short-video platforms.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Quality, Reliability, and Engagement of Lumbar Disc Herniation Videos Across Major Short-Video Platforms: A Cross-Platform Analysis","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-19 20:08:04","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8780255/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-05-06T07:32:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"293329795958151876119029557628851127132","date":"2026-05-03T07:14:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-30T23:34:29+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"231103788246592189021208759378440656615","date":"2026-04-30T23:23:58+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-03-13T02:55:05+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"106774525129150812512677185378856174271","date":"2026-03-09T08:30:30+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"20857907990119375588150403194234003139","date":"2026-02-26T20:13:44+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-17T10:41:43+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-11T06:40:14+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-02-09T09:19:36+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-02-09T09:13:14+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2026-02-03T22:59:46+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d889ac92-d9ec-44f1-8ad6-2eb4000e1536","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 19th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-05-06T07:32:16+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"in-revision","subjectAreas":[{"id":63110973,"name":"Health sciences/Diseases"},{"id":63110974,"name":"Health sciences/Health care"},{"id":63110976,"name":"Health sciences/Medical research"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-06T07:40:20+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-19 20:08:04","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8780255","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8780255","identity":"rs-8780255","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}