Previously submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research (no longer under consideration since Nov 21, 2023)
Date Submitted: Oct 7, 2023
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
TikTok Content on Measles-Rubella Vaccine in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study Highlighting the Spread of Vaccine Misinformation
ABSTRACT
Background:
Measles remains a significant global public health concern, emphasizing the importance of optimal vaccination coverage. Social media platforms, including TikTok, have become influential sources of health information, but they also present a potential source for vaccine misinformation spread.
Objective:
To assess the quality of Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine-related content on TikTok in Jordan and to analyze factors associated with vaccine misinformation.
Methods:
A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed. A systematic search for MR vaccine related TikTok content in Jordan was conducted using pre-defined keywords and a specified date/time range. Content metrics (Likes, Comments, Shares, and Saves) were collected while content quality was evaluated using a modified version of the DISCERN validated instrument to check the quality of health information as evaluated by two expert raters. The average modified DISCERN score ranged from 1 denoting poor content to 5 indicating excellent content.
Results:
A total of 50 videos from 34 unique content creators formed the final study sample. The majority of MR-vaccine related content was created by lay individuals (61.8%), followed by TV/news websites/journalists (23.5%), and healthcare professionals (HCPs, 14.7%). The Cohen Kappa per modified DISCERN item was in the range of (0.579–0.808, P<.001) indicating good to excellent agreement. The overall average modified DISCERN score was 2±1.2, while it was only 1.3±0.52 for lay individuals’ content, indicating poor content quality. Normalized per the number of followers for each source, content by lay individuals had significantly higher number of Likes, Saves, and Shares (P=.009, .012, and .004, respectively). Vaccine misinformation was detected in 58.8% of the videos: lay individuals (85.7%), TV/news websites/journalists (25.0%), while HCPs content had none (P<.001). Normalized per the number of followers for each source, videos flagged as having MR vaccine misinformation reached a higher number of Likes, Saves, and Shares (P=.012, .016, and .003, respectively).
Conclusions:
Substantial dissemination of TikTok MR vaccine-related misinformation in Jordan was detected. HCPs can play a major role as a source of credible vaccine information. Rigorous fact-checking is warranted by the platform to address misinformation on TikTok, which is vital to improve trust in MR vaccination ultimately protecting public health.
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