Exploring Menstrual Education via TikTok: A Descriptive Content Analysis.

PURPOSE: TikTok has rapidly emerged as one of the foremost social media platforms for young adults and adolescents, becoming the most-downloaded app in 2022. With its broad reach across demographics, TikTok may be leveraged as a tool for teaching and destigmatizing topics such as menstruation. This study is the first to analyze the quality of menstruation-related content on TikTok. METHODS: This cross-sectional study of TikTok videos and corresponding accounts examined six pre-determined menstruation-related hashtags in May 2023. Deductive qualitative analysis was performed between three coders to identify themes and content of the available videos. RESULTS: A total of 140 videos created by 107 unique accounts were identified. The videos had varying purposes including audience education (66%), entertainment (35%), and product advertisement (17%). Videos mentioned various menstrual hygiene products, menstruation-related advice, and symptoms of menses. A vast majority of videos appeared to be created by laypersons with only 8% being led by health-care professionals. DISCUSSION: With TikTok's usage as a social platform among youth, it displays potential as a tool to enhance menstrual education and destigmatization. There is a need for more menstruation experts to join the platform and provide quality material for users.

Public Interest in Acetyl Hexapeptide-8: Longitudinal Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acetyl hexapeptide-8, also known as Argireline, is a topical, short-acting, synthetic peptide that has recently gained popularity for its antiwrinkle effects. This agent has emerged as a more accessible alternative to botulinum neurotoxin. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the public interest in acetyl hexapeptide-8 in the United States from 2013 to 2023, as described by search volume on Google, the most-used search engine. METHODS: We analyzed the longitudinal relative monthly search volume from January 1, 2013, to January 1, 2023, for acetyl hexapeptide-related terms. We compared the internet search trends for "Botox" during this period to "Argireline." RESULTS: The terms "Argireline" and "Botox in a Bottle" both had substantial increases in search volume in 2022. Although its search volume is drastically increasing, "Argireline" was less searched than "Botox," which had a stable, up-trending search volume over the past decade. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing interest in acetyl hexapeptide-8 may be due to its cost-effectiveness and use as a botulinum neurotoxin alternative. Affordability, over-the-counter availability, and ease of self-application of the agent suggest its potential to enhance accessibility to cosmetic dermatologic care.

A descriptive analysis of otolaryngology presence on the social media platform TikTok.

Objective: In recent years, the video sharing app TikTok has become a new venue for health care providers and medical educators. Research on health care information within the app has primarily focused on cosmetic and plastic surgery content. TikTok could potentially be a tool used to educate the public on otolaryngology-related topics. This study is the first to analyze the quality and quantity of otolaryngology-related TikTok content. Methods: A cross-sectional study of TikTok accounts using otolaryngology-related hashtags within the preceding 6 months was conducted on February 4, 2023. Deductive qualitative analysis was performed between two coders to identify themes of the accounts and their content. Results: A total of 47 accounts were selected for analysis. Facial plastic surgery was the most represented specialty (n = 20; 43%) and pediatric otolaryngology the least represented (n = 1; 2%). Content posted was primarily educational in nature (n = 30; 64%) and 66% (n = 31) of content creators advertised contact information in their account biography. The majority of accounts were in English (n = 30; 64%) and originated in the United States (n = 30; 64%). More accounts were run by male (n = 29; 62%) than female content creators. Conclusion: Otolaryngology is a broad specialty with unequal representation of the related subspecialties on TikTok, a popular social media platform. The majority of current content focuses on patient education in facial plastic surgery. Future studies are warranted to examine the potential growth and impact of otolaryngology content on this video-based platform. Level of Evidence: 2.