Baloxavir marboxil-related information on Douyin and Xiaohongshu: a cross-sectional analysis of content, misinformation, and user engagement.

Baloxavir marboxil is a novel antiviral agent; however, the accuracy of medication-related information available on social media remains uncertain. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the content coverage, quality, and reliability of short videos related to baloxavir marboxil on Douyin and Xiaohongshu. The top 100 baloxavir marboxil-related videos were collected from both Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Quality and reliability were assessed using the JAMA criteria, modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), Global Quality Score (GQS), and the medication information items (MII) checklist. Correlations between video quality and user engagement metrics were also analyzed. A total of 176 eligible videos were included. While videos on Xiaohongshu demonstrated higher quality and reliability than those on Douyin, Douyin videos showed greater engagement. Median JAMA scores were 2.00 (Xiaohongshu) and 1.00 (Douyin); mDISCERN scores were 2.00 on both; GQS scores were 3.00 on both; and MII values were 3.00 and 2.00, respectively. A substantial proportion of videos scored poorly on JAMA-2, JAMA-4, mDISCERN-2, and mDISCERN-4. Physicians and individual users were the main uploaders. Most videos employed a monologue format and focused on indications. Videos uploaded by pharmacists had higher quality and greater medication information coverage, and were the most engaging. Although video quality was not correlated with popularity, MII was a significant predictor of high-quality videos. Misinformation mainly involved exaggerated efficacy, pharmacological misunderstandings, inappropriate self-medication, incorrect indications, misleading safety claims, and commercial exaggeration. The quality and reliability of baloxavir marboxil-related videos on Douyin and Xiaohongshu remain suboptimal, with notable deficiencies in source referencing. Significant differences in video quality exist between platforms, highlighting the need for users to exercise discernment when accessing related content. This study underscores potential disparities in access to high-quality health information across user groups on short video platforms, as well as the associated health equity issues. Future efforts should focus on characterizing misinformation related to baloxavir marboxil on short video platforms. Additionally, social media platforms should establish policies to review and monitor health education content to ensure the public receives accurate and trustworthy health information.