Exploring YouTube Videos About Anorexia Nervosa on the Basis of Reliability, Popularity, and Contributions of Healthcare Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder, is characterized by a distorted body image, intense fear of gaining weight, and self-imposed starvation. The aim of this study is to analyze type of information as well as its quality and reliability on YouTube about anorexia nervosa.Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on 59 Youtube videos using anorexia nervosa-related keywords in June 2023. The characteristics of the YouTube videos, such as the language of the information, the time of upload, and the qualifications of the uploaders, were recorded. The content and quality of 59 videos were assessed using the Global Quality Score (GQS) and reliability grading systems.Results: The videos accumulated a total of 256,602 likes, 5,644 dislikes, and 17,761 comments. Treatmentrelated content accounted for 81.36% of the videos, while descriptions of symptoms comprised 79.66%. Doctors contributed to 18.6% of the total uploads, making them the second-largest group of uploaders after the 'Other' category. The median reliability score for doctors is 4, the same as the hospital healthcare organization. This indicates that the perceived reliability of doctors as a source of information is as high as that of hospital healthcare organizations.Conclusions: In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of critically evaluating information on anorexia nervosa videos on YouTube. Despite variations in popularity, the overall quality and reliability remained consistent. Doctors were perceived as reliable sources of information, comparable to hospital healthcare organizations. Ensuring accurate and trustworthy content is crucial for supporting those affected by anorexia nervosa and promoting reliable information to the public.

Assessment of the Quality and Reliability of Content Available on YouTube About Palpitations

“…We included 71 videos, of which 64% were uploaded over a year ago and were not updated. Suresh et al also had a similar finding, wherein around 71.2% of the videos they analyzed were uploaded more than a year ago [13]. In our study, the cumulative number of views on these videos was 14,532,527, similar to the finding in the study conducted by Kunze et al, who analyzed 50 videos and reported 14,141,285 views [17].…”

An Objective Comparison of the Quality and Reliability of Information Regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder on YouTube

“…The quality and reliability of the sample videos were objectively evaluated using the GQS and the Reliability Score (derived from the DISCERN tool for assessment of written health information) respectively. Suresh et al and Dobosz et al conducted comparable analyses regarding anorexia nervosa and body dysmorphic disorder respectively, to evaluate the standard and utility of the information published online [2,15]. The results were found to be statistically significant only about the quality of the videos measured by GQS.…”

“…YouTube, a widely used American social media platform for video sharing, plays a significant role in this context. Users leverage YouTube for a variety of purposes, including the dissemination of health-related information [2]. However, the abundance of information that may or may not be false makes it difficult for individuals to find trustworthy sources of information, as observed in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.…”