ArticleGenetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics2026
A content analysis of health-related epigenetic information in YouTube videos.
Article in Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A cross-sectional study assessing the reliability and quality of educational videos on hydrocephalus available on TikTok and Bilibili.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Hope Tempered by Caution: Public Beliefs in the USA about the Benefits and Drawbacks of Using Epigenetic Technologies in Clinical Care.Public health genomics · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
purposeThis study aimed to explore how health-related epigenetic concepts are depicted in YouTube videos, a widely accessed platform for informal science education. As epigenetics becomes increasingly relevant to medical therapeutics, it is essential to understand what information is being disseminated in the public sphere.
methodsWe conducted a content analysis of 296 YouTube videos about epigenetics that were under 10 minutes in length. We transcribed and analyzed the videos using an iteratively developed codebook and then categorized relevant codes as categories.
resultsWe identified 7 categories: (1) defining epigenetics, (2) causes of epigenetic changes, (3) effects of epigenetic change, (4) epigenetic inheritability, (5) application of epigenetics, (6) personal control, and (7) epigenetic mysticism. Although the content about the molecular epigenetic mechanisms mostly aligned with the latest scientific findings, there were numerous unsubstantiated and exaggerated claims about effects of epigenetics on human health, especially disease outcomes.
conclusionWe identified several scientific concepts described on YouTube regarding epigenetics. Our findings also reveal what information about epigenetics is widely shared in the public sphere, helping to identify key misconceptions to address and guiding the development of strategies for accurate scientific communication.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.