Information on TikTok About the Oncogenic Potential of HPV in the Head and Neck: Implications for Public Health

Abstract

The aim of the present work was to conduct a descriptive cross-sectional study that consisted on the assessment of videos published in the social platform TikTok about HPV, and its appearance in the head and neck. The first 100 Spanish-language videos suggested by TikTok were selected, as well as the first 100 videos in English. To assess the reliability of the videos, the Modified DISCERN tool was utilized-Global Quality Score (GQS) for quality and modified DISCERN for reliability. Statistically significant differences were found between the variables language, with a significant relationship with objective (p = 0.01), current information (p < 0.01), and balance and objectivity (p = 0.01). The duration of the video was significantly related with the objective (p < 0.01) and clarity and understanding (p < 0.01), but not with other metrics such as the source of information (p = 0.87), or balance and objectivity (p = 0.92). The HPV contents must be verified by experts to avoid the propagation of incorrect information. There is little information available online about the relationship between oropharyngeal cancer and the human papillomavirus (HPV), which makes it difficult to access trustworthy and current resources about the subject.