Quality, Reliability, and Dissemination of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy Information on Short-Video Platforms in China: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is a high-risk liver disorder complicating pregnancy. Short-video platforms are a major health information source, yet the quality of ICP-related content is unknown. This study aimed to explore the quality, reliability, and dissemination of ICP-related information online. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on December 11, 2025. The top 100 videos for the Chinese ICP term from Kwai, Red Notes, and TikTok were screened. Video basic characteristics and engagement metrics were extracted. Quality was assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), a modified Decision-making Information Support Criteria for Evaluating the Reliability of Non-randomised Studies (mDISCERN), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark criteria, and a Content Completeness Score (CCS). Non-parametric data were summarized using medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs). Group comparisons were conducted with the Kruskal-Wallis test, and correlations were assessed via Spearman's correlation analysis. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05, with analyses performed using IBM SPSS 30.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) and a few online platforms. Results A total of 174 videos were included for systematic analyses. Video quality was moderate (GQS median 3.00) and varied across three platforms. Content completeness was suboptimal (CCS median 5.00). Videos from healthcare professionals scored higher. User engagement metrics (likes, comments) were significantly higher on TikTok (ByteDance Ltd., Beijing, China) but showed negligible or weak correlations with quality scores across all platforms. Conclusion The quality of ICP information on short-video platforms is inconsistent and often incomplete, despite high social engagement. Professional sources are more reliable, but significant informational gaps persist. This highlights a public health need for improved platform governance, professional content creation, and enhanced digital health literacy for pregnant women.