Exploring public perceptions of college education on TikTok: A content analysis through the lens of the social determinants of health
This study examines the value of a college degree within the context of the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework, analyzing 100 TikTok videos and their respective comments through two separate analyses. The first focused on the video characteristics, including engagement metrics such as lik...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Dialogues in Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772653325000103 |
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| author | Erin Toussaint Jacques Vincent Jones, II Erela Datuowei Arijit Chatterjee Carlee Denholtz Corey H. Basch |
| author_facet | Erin Toussaint Jacques Vincent Jones, II Erela Datuowei Arijit Chatterjee Carlee Denholtz Corey H. Basch |
| author_sort | Erin Toussaint Jacques |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examines the value of a college degree within the context of the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework, analyzing 100 TikTok videos and their respective comments through two separate analyses. The first focused on the video characteristics, including engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and saves, while the second analyzed comment threads for themes within the SDH framework. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test to evaluate differences in engagement metrics based on the presence or absence of the themes. Videos addressing Employment Opportunities (76 %), Economic Mobility (68 %), and Education Quality (65 %) received the highest engagement. The comment analysis showed significant associations between themes such as Income Potential, Employment Opportunities, Economic Mobility, Social Capital, Debt and Financial Stress with higher video likes. However, health related themes, despite being integral to the SDH framework, were either absent or insignificant in comment discussions. These findings underscore the public's emphasis on financial and career-related concerns over broader health implications. Future research should explore the extent to which SDH-related benefits—such as health resources, access, and literacy—influence decisions about pursuing higher education. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a8bc5f6bdf314bbbb7ceaaea919be0e2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2772-6533 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Dialogues in Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-a8bc5f6bdf314bbbb7ceaaea919be0e22025-08-20T02:26:40ZengElsevierDialogues in Health2772-65332025-06-01610021310.1016/j.dialog.2025.100213Exploring public perceptions of college education on TikTok: A content analysis through the lens of the social determinants of healthErin Toussaint Jacques0Vincent Jones, II1Erela Datuowei2Arijit Chatterjee3Carlee Denholtz4Corey H. Basch5Department of Health & Human Performance, York College, CUNY, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11451, United States of America; Corresponding author.Department of Health & Human Performance, York College, CUNY, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11451, United States of AmericaDepartment of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California, 1845 N Soto St, Los Angeles, CA 90032, United States of AmericaDepartment of Health & Human Performance, York College, CUNY, 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Jamaica, NY 11451, United States of AmericaDepartment of Public Health, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ 07470, United States of AmericaDepartment of Public Health, William Paterson University, 300 Pompton Road, Wayne, NJ 07470, United States of AmericaThis study examines the value of a college degree within the context of the Social Determinants of Health (SDH) framework, analyzing 100 TikTok videos and their respective comments through two separate analyses. The first focused on the video characteristics, including engagement metrics such as likes, comments, shares, and saves, while the second analyzed comment threads for themes within the SDH framework. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test to evaluate differences in engagement metrics based on the presence or absence of the themes. Videos addressing Employment Opportunities (76 %), Economic Mobility (68 %), and Education Quality (65 %) received the highest engagement. The comment analysis showed significant associations between themes such as Income Potential, Employment Opportunities, Economic Mobility, Social Capital, Debt and Financial Stress with higher video likes. However, health related themes, despite being integral to the SDH framework, were either absent or insignificant in comment discussions. These findings underscore the public's emphasis on financial and career-related concerns over broader health implications. Future research should explore the extent to which SDH-related benefits—such as health resources, access, and literacy—influence decisions about pursuing higher education.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772653325000103Social determinants of healthCollege educationHigher educationPerceptionTikTokCollege value |
| spellingShingle | Erin Toussaint Jacques Vincent Jones, II Erela Datuowei Arijit Chatterjee Carlee Denholtz Corey H. Basch Exploring public perceptions of college education on TikTok: A content analysis through the lens of the social determinants of health Dialogues in Health Social determinants of health College education Higher education Perception TikTok College value |
| title | Exploring public perceptions of college education on TikTok: A content analysis through the lens of the social determinants of health |
| title_full | Exploring public perceptions of college education on TikTok: A content analysis through the lens of the social determinants of health |
| title_fullStr | Exploring public perceptions of college education on TikTok: A content analysis through the lens of the social determinants of health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring public perceptions of college education on TikTok: A content analysis through the lens of the social determinants of health |
| title_short | Exploring public perceptions of college education on TikTok: A content analysis through the lens of the social determinants of health |
| title_sort | exploring public perceptions of college education on tiktok a content analysis through the lens of the social determinants of health |
| topic | Social determinants of health College education Higher education Perception TikTok College value |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772653325000103 |
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