Reliability and educational quality of TikTok videos as information sources on sports nutrition

Social media platforms like TikTok have emerged as prevalent sources for consuming and disseminating healthcare information. Due to the lack of scientific oversight, the reliability and consistency of health-related videos have become a focal point in recent literature. This study aims to assess the educational quality and reliability of TikTok videos on sports nutrition. A descriptive research design was employed as it is deemed the most appropriate methodology to collect information on the study variables and explore the scientific perspectives related to this subject. The study comprises videos produced by sports content creators and all educational TikTok videos addressing sports nutrition. A random sample of 100 videos was selected using relevant hashtags via TikTok’s search engine. The evaluation of these videos was performed using several quality assessment tools, including the DISCERN instrument, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmarks, and the Global Quality Score (GQS). Statistical analyses were conducted using the SPSS software. The findings indicate that the content of TikTok videos related to sports nutrition is generally of low quality, suboptimal, and insufficiently educational. The results underscore the need for greater involvement of qualified professionals in the creation of educational content and the implementation of stricter guidelines by social media platforms to ensure the dissemination of accurate and reliable health information.