ArticlePathogens and global health2018
Are internet videos useful sources of information during global public health emergencies? A case study of YouTube videos during the 2015-16 Zika virus pandemic.
Article in Pathogens and global health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 70 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
70 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Approaches to Research Ethics in Health Research on YouTube: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Is YouTube a reliable source of health-related information? A systematic review.BMC medical education · 2022Pooled it
- COVID-19-related misinformation on social media: a systematic review.Bulletin of the World Health Organization · 2021Pooled it
- Prevalence of Health Misinformation on Social Media: Systematic Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Pooled it
- Determinants of Infodemics During Disease Outbreaks: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in public health · 2021Pooled it
- Systematic Literature Review on the Spread of Health-related Misinformation on Social Media.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2019Pooled it
- YouTube and Religion during COVID-19: Analyzing Indonesian Islamic Groups' Narratives.Journal of religion and health · 2026Article
- Quality and reliability of YouTube videos on breast engorgement.International breastfeeding journal · 2026Article
- Engaging the public with antimicrobial resistance through social media videos-a content analysis study.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Article
- Association Between X/Twitter and Prescribing Behavior During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Retrospective Ecological Study.JMIR infodemiology · 2024Article
- Inclusive Crisis Communication in a Pandemic Context: A Rapid Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Review
- Analysis of YouTube-Based Therapeutic Content for Children with Cerebral Palsy.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- How older adults manage misinformation and information overload - A qualitative study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Reliability of YouTube videos on the management of orthodontic emergencies during COVID-19 pandemic: A quantitative and qualitative analysis.Journal of orthodontic science · 2024Article
- Use of immunology in news and YouTube videos in the context of COVID-19: politicisation and information bubbles.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Social networks use in the context of Schizophrenia: a review of the literature.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2024Review
- Mapping automatic social media information disorder. The role of bots and AI in spreading misleading information in society.PloS one · 2024Article
- Analysis of YouTubeMaternal and child health journal · 2023Article
- Article
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundInternet-videos, though popular sources of public health information, are often unverified and anecdotal. We critically evaluated YouTube videos about Zika virus available during the recent Zika pandemic.
methodsHundred-and-one videos were retrieved from YouTube (search term: zika virus). Based upon content, they were classified as: informative, misleading or personal experience videos. Quality and reliability of these videos were evaluated using standardized tools. The viewer interaction metrics (e.g. no. of views, shares, etc.), video characteristics (video length, etc.) and the sources of upload were also assessed; and their relationship with the type, quality and reliability of the videos analyzed.
resultsOverall, 70.3% videos were informative, while 23.8% and 5.9% videos were misleading and related to personal experiences, respectively. Although with shorter lengths (P < 0.01) and superior quality (P < 0.01), yet informative videos were viewed (P = 0.054), liked (P < 0.01) and shared (P < 0.05) less often than their misleading counterparts. Videos from independent users were more likely to be misleading (adjusted OR = 6.48, 95% CI: 1.69 - 24.83), of poorer (P < 0.05) quality and reliability than government/news agency videos.
conclusionA considerable chunk of the videos were misleading. They were more popular (than informative videos) and could potentially spread misinformation. Videos from trustworthy sources like university/health organizations were scarce. Curation/authentication of health information in online video platforms (like YouTube) is necessary. We discuss means to harness them as useful source of information and highlight measures to curb dissemination of misinformation during public health emergencies.
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