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A recent study found that 88% of participants engaged with health-related content on YouTube. Among these viewers, 85% make health-related decisions influenced by their viewing habits. Furthermore, 44% of users resort to YouTube for guidance on whether to seek medical advice or adopt certain health practices. The most sought-after videos in this segment are related to exercise and bodybuilding. The paper was published in BMC Public Health.
YouTube is a popular online video-sharing platform that allows users to upload, share, and view videos on a wide range of topics, including entertainment, education, and news. It was founded in February 2005 and has since become one of the largest and most influential digital media platforms globally. Users can interact with videos by liking, commenting, and subscribing to channels, and the platform also serves as a significant source of revenue for content creators through advertising and partnerships.
YouTube is also a popular source of health-related content. Studies indicate that the percentage of U.S. adults watching this kind of content on YouTube has increased from 40% in 2020 to 59% in 2022. People are not only watching health-related content on this platform, but also use it to seek support from others who share similar health-related conditions, find answers to their health-related questions, and even to gather information prior to planned medical interventions. Recognizing this trend, in 2022 YouTube introduced the “YouTube Health” initiative aiming to help individuals find trustworthy sources of public health information.
Study authors Fatma Mohamed and Abdulhadi Shoufan wanted to explore the experience of users watching health-related videos on YouTube. They were interested in the share of users that watch this kind of content and how often, how many of them make decisions based on YouTube health-related content, how they perceive the quality of the content, and in a number of other topics.
The study surveyed 3,000 YouTube users via Prolific Academic, requiring participants to be English-fluent and over 18 years old.
The online survey inquired about demographic information, behaviors related to viewing YouTube’s health-related content, decision-making influenced by these videos, perceptions of their usefulness or bias, quality assessments, and suggestions for enhancing the quality of health-related video content.
The findings revealed that 2,630 out of 3,000 participants (88%) watched health-related content on YouTube, and 2,542 (85%) made decisions influenced by YouTube’s health-related videos. Additionally, 44% indicated that their choice to consult a doctor was influenced by YouTube content. Among the participants, 16.5% frequently watched health-related videos, and 15.7% often made health-related decisions based on YouTube content.
In the realm of health-related content, exercise and bodybuilding videos were the most popular, watched by 53% of the participants. This was followed by mental health (47%), well-being (42%), diet programs (37%), dermatology (28%), and cosmetics (23%), with other content categories attracting fewer viewers.
Generally, users found the videos beneficial, with bodybuilding and physical therapy programs receiving the highest utility ratings. Conversely, videos on alternative medicine and deciding whether to consult a doctor garnered the lowest ratings, though they were still positively viewed.
The researchers concluded, “Users turn to YouTube not only for health information but also as a decision-making tool. Combined with their generally positive attitudes towards content quality on this platform, this can have significant consequences for their health.”
The study makes an important contribution to the scientific understanding of the impact of YouTube videos on health-related behaviors. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on an online sample which is likely international. Studies on groups more representative of the general population might not yield equal results.
The paper, “Users’ experience with health-related content on YouTube: an exploratory study,” was authored by Fatma Mohamed and Abdulhadi Shoufan.
