(150) Drinking the Kool-Aid: Misinformation About #Glucola on TikTok

TikTok is a popular source of medical information—and misinformation—for pregnant patients. Concerns about artificial dyes and sweeteners have fueled online debate surrounding Glucola, the test for gestational diabetes. We aimed to characterize TikTok content on Glucola.

Study Design:

After IRB exemption, we evaluated the 100 most-liked videos tagged #glucola, #glucolatest, #gestationaldiabetestest, and #gdm. Data were extracted via the Apify platform based on validated methods and ranked by number of likes. Videos were excluded if they lacked Glucola content, were non-English, or had missing audio/video. Two reviewers coded content; discrepancies were resolved by a third. Primary outcome was tone toward Glucola. Secondary outcomes included: misinformation, promotion of alternative testing, and validated scores to assess video reliability(DISCERN) and video understandability and actionality(PEMAT).

Results:

Of 1017 videos, 444 were excluded due to irrelevance or non-English language before reaching the top 100 videos. Among the top 100, 98% were by female-identifying users. Most common content included personal experience with Glucola(n=58), medical education(n=20), and opinion(n=11).

Negative tone toward Glucola appeared in 42% of videos; only 25% were positive. Among patient-created posts, 48% expressed anxiety about drinking Glucola, 32% complained about taste, and 15% encouraged anxiety in others.

Approximately 30% of videos included partially or completely inaccurate information about Glucola. Of this, 7% of videos claimed the drink contained harmful ingredients(Table 1). Approximately 18% of videos promoted unvalidated alternatives.

Based on the standardized scales, reliability was low, actionability was poor, and understandability was moderate(Table 2).

Conclusion:

TikTok videos about Glucola frequently include misinformation and promote unvalidated alternatives, fueling concerns and refusal of essential testing. Obstetric providers should be aware of these online narratives and offer anticipatory guidance to address misconceptions and promote evidence-based care.