#Coronavirus on TikTok: User engagement with misinformation as a potential threat to public health behavior

Background: COVID-related misinformation is prevalent online, including on social media. The purpose of this study was to explore factors associated with user engagement with COVID-related misinformation on the social media platform, TikTok.
Methods: A sample of TikTok videos associated with the hashtag #coronavirus were downloaded on September 20, 2020. Misinformation was evaluated on a scale (low, medium, high) using a codebook developed by experts in infectious diseases. Multivariable modeling was used to evaluate factors associated with number of views and presence of user comments indicating intention to change behavior.
Results: 166 TikTok videos were identified. Moderate misinformation was present in 36 (22%) videos, and high-level misinformation was present in 11 (7%). After controlling for characteristics and content, videos containing moderate misinformation were less likely to generate a user response indicating intended behavior change. By contrast, videos containing high-le..., ,