Why we hoard health short videos: understanding the role of content features and health orientations in e-health hoarding

Purpose The growing availability of health information on digital platforms has increased individuals’ exposure to health-related content, raising important questions about how such information is selectively retained and managed. Addressing a gap in existing research on digital health information behaviors, this study introduces the concept of “e-health hoarding”, defined as the conscious bookmarking of digital health information as a personal knowledge reserve. Drawing on perceived value theory, the study examines how specific content features drive this behavior on short video platforms and how users' health orientations shape these effects. Design/methodology/approach A multi-method quantitative approach was adopted, combining manual content coding, machine learning techniques, and regression analyses. The empirical analysis was based on a dataset of 494 health short videos collected from Douyin. Four content features were operationalized: information expertise, actionable guidance, emotional reinforcement, and content completeness, with health orientation (disease treatment vs health promotion) examined as a moderating factor. Findings The results show that actionable guidance consistently promotes e-health hoarding across health contexts. Information expertise and content completeness exert significantly stronger effects in disease treatment–oriented content, whereas emotional reinforcement is more influential in health promotion contexts. These findings indicate that users selectively evaluate and retain health information based on their health goals rather than passively accumulating content. Originality/value This study extends research on digital health information behavior by conceptualizing e-health hoarding as a future-oriented and goal-oriented form of information retention. It highlights the differentiated value mechanisms underlying users' bookmarking decisions and advances understanding of how health orientations shape content evaluation in short video environments.