(291) TikTok and #maternalmortality: a content analysis

Objective:
Nearly 40% of Generation Z use TikTok as their primary search engine before other sites. Reproductive health posts frequently raise awareness and/or provide education. We systematically analyzed TikTok videos using #maternalmortality which has over 37 million views.

Study Design:
Web-scraper Apify was used to compile information from the most-liked TikTok posts tagged #maternalmortality on February 6, 2023. Two independent reviewers (M.G. and L.H.) performed standardized coding on the top 100 videos with another reviewer (C.W.) to arbitrate differences. In addition to pre-determined descriptive data points, two standardized scales were used: a modified 5-point DISCERN scale to assess information quality and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) to evaluate understandability and actionability.

Results:
The top 100 #maternalmortality TikToks collectively had 11.9 million views and 1.1 million likes. 13 unavailable videos were excluded at the time of arbitration. Most creators were feminine presenting (86%), based in the U.S (99%), and 48% were healthcare professionals. Common themes included racial disparities in maternal deaths (33%) and causes and preventability of maternal deaths (22% and 13%, respectively). 5% of videos highlighted trust in healthcare while 31% highlighted distrust. Health information quality was moderate (median DISCERN score of 2 out of 5, IQR 2-3) and videos were understandable (PEMAT median 71%, IQR 62-83) but not actionable (PEMAT median 0%, IQR 0).

Conclusion:
Popular #maternalmortality videos on TikTok highlight race or racism as contributing factors to maternal deaths. High scores in understandability but lower in information quality suggests that, though accessible, these videos may not be totally reliable.