Credibility of health-related content on Chinese short-video platforms: A scoping review on accuracy, risks, and quality metrics

Background: Short videos have emerged as a significant medium for disseminating health information. However, misleading content can lead to poor health decisions, undermining national efforts to enhance health knowledge and public health literacy. Objective: This study aims to systematically evaluate the quality and reliability of health-related videos on Chinese short-video platforms and to offer insights for the regulation of digital health on a global scale. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across the China Biology Medicine Database, PubMed, Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and VIP databases for articles published between January 2021 and December 2024. Twenty-five articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included and analyzed to evaluate the quality and credibility of health-related short videos on Chinese platforms, as well as the correlation between the type of creator and video quality. Results: Health-related videos created by healthcare professionals or institutions demonstrated higher reliability and accuracy. The DISCERN was the most commonly used tool in the evaluation of these videos. Overall, video quality was generally substandard, with the prevalence of inaccurate information ranging from 10.1% to 100% across various health topics. Conclusions: This review identified substantial deficiencies in the accuracy of health information disseminated through Chinese short-video platforms. The presence of low-quality content has negative impact on public health decision-making. These findings align with evaluation of health-related videos on international platforms, such as YouTube and Instagram. Therefore, it is imperative to adopt comprehensive strategies, including content moderation, creator verification, and responsible algorithm management to improve video quality and ensure the public's access to reliable digital health information.