ArticleJMIR infodemiology
COVID-19 and Vitamin D Misinformation on YouTube: Content Analysis.
Article in JMIR infodemiology. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed.
- Quality and reliability of YouTube videos on PET/CT radiation safety: a comparative analysis between human experts and large language models.Japanese journal of radiology · 2026Article
- Communicating Antimicrobial Resistance on Instagram: Content Analysis of #AntibioticResistance.JMIR infodemiology · 2025Article
- Anti-masking Posts on Instagram: Content Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Safety and health at work · 2025Article
- Review
- Article
- The New Media Landscape and Its Effects on Skin Cancer Diagnostics, Prognostics, and Prevention: Scoping Review.JMIR dermatology · 2024Article
- Mapping automatic social media information disorder. The role of bots and AI in spreading misleading information in society.PloS one · 2024Article
- Vitamin D Supplementation During COVID-19 Lockdown and After 20 Months: Follow-Up Study on Slovenian Women Aged Between 44 and 66.Zdravstveno varstvo · 2023Article
- The "Loci" of Misinformation and Its Correction in Peer- and Expert-Led Online Communities for Mental Health: Content Analysis.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Article
- Article
- COVID-19 News Exposure and Vaccinations: A Moderated Mediation of Digital News Literacy Behavior and Vaccine Misperceptions.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Demographic and psychometric predictors associated with engagement in risk-associated alternative healthcare behaviours.PloS one · 2023Article
- The Early Detection of Fraudulent COVID-19 Products From Twitter Chatter: Data Set and Baseline Approach Using Anomaly Detection.JMIR infodemiology · 2023Article
- Public Figure Vaccination Rhetoric and Vaccine Hesitancy: Retrospective Twitter Analysis.JMIR infodemiology · 2023Article
- COVID-19 and theHealthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: The "infodemic" accompanying the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic has the potential to increase avoidable spread as well as engagement in risky health behaviors. Although social media platforms, such as YouTube, can be an inexpensive and effective method of sharing accurate health information, inaccurate and misleading information shared on YouTube can be dangerous for viewers. The confusing nature of data and claims surrounding the benefits of vitamin D, particularly in the prevention or cure of COVID-19, influences both viewers and the general "immune boosting" commercial interest. Objective: The aim of this study was to ascertain how information on vitamin D and COVID-19 was presented on YouTube in 2020. Methods: YouTube video results for the search terms "COVID," "coronavirus," and "vitamin D" were collected and analyzed for content themes and deemed useful or misleading based on the accuracy or inaccuracy of the content. Qualitative content analysis and simple statistical analysis were used to determine the prevalence and frequency of concerning content, such as confusing correlation with causation regarding vitamin D benefits. Results: In total, 77 videos with a combined 10,225,763 views (at the time of data collection) were included in the analysis, with over three-quarters of them containing misleading content about COVID-19 and vitamin D. In addition, 45 (58%) of the 77 videos confused the relationship between vitamin D and COVID-19, with 46 (85%) of 54 videos stating that vitamin D has preventative or curative abilities. The major contributors to these videos were medical professionals with YouTube accounts. Vitamin D recommendations that do not align with the current literature were frequently suggested, including taking supplementation higher than the recommended safe dosage or seeking intentional solar UV radiation exposure. Conclusions: The spread of misinformation is particularly alarming when spread by medical professionals, and existing data suggesting vitamin D has immune-boosting abilities can add to viewer confusion or mistrust in health information. Further, the suggestions made in the videos may increase the risks of other poor health outcomes, such as skin cancer from solar UV radiation.
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