PhD Student Research Explores TikTok’s impact on Diabetes Education

Newly published research from UCLA Joe C. Wen School of Nursing doctoral student Lisa Diaz, RN, MSN, CDCES, examines how social media, specifically TikTok, is shaping diabetes health education for the public. 

The study, “Exploring the Quality of TikTok-Based Diabetes Self-Management Education in English and Spanish: A Digital Health Study,” was recently published in The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care. 

With the popularity of social media continuing to grow, the study looks to better understand the quality of online health care information being widely consumed. Through analyzing 300 English and Spanish-language TikTok videos, researchers evaluated the efficacy of short-form video content in communicating key information about managing type 2 diabetes. The findings reveal that while some videos, particularly those created by health care professionals, offered more reliable information, overall content quality across the platform was low.

The study also highlights a key reality of today’s digital health landscape. Videos from personal creators that tend to generate the highest engagement, often provide less comprehensive and lower quality information. This suggests what some may already infer, that the most influential content is often the most inaccurate.

“I hope that these findings will help guide the development of higher-quality, culturally relevant diabetes education on social media that truly supports diabetes health,” said Diaz, who graduates with her PhD in Spring 2026. 

This research underscores both the promise and the risk of digital health tools. While social media offers unprecedented reach and engagement, it also raises urgent questions about misinformation and the responsibility of healthcare professionals to meet patients where they are.