YouTube English videos as a source of information on breast self-examination

To examine the content, quality and reliability of YouTube videos related to breast self-examination.

A search of YouTube was made on 21.06.2018 using the keyword of "breast self-examination". The videos were categorised by two doctors as useful information or misleading information. To evaluate the quality of the videos, a 5-point global quality scale was used (GQS: 1 = poor quality, 5 = excellent quality), for reliability a 5-point DISCERN scale was used, and for content an 8-point scale (higher points indicated greater reliability and better content).

Of the 200 videos initially included in the study, 33 (37.9%) were classified as useful and 54 (62%) as misleading information. The reliability, content and quality scores of the videos in the useful information group were higher. The length (in seconds) of the videos in the useful information group (median 301, IQR 231-512) was longer than that of those in the misleading information group (median 163, IQR 94.8-231) (p = 0.003). The majority (70.6%) of the videos in the misleading information group had been uploaded by an individual user. The number of views per day of the videos in the misleading information group (median 58.6, IQR 18.5-298) was greater than that of the videos in the useful information group (median 49.7, IQR 16.3-268) (p = 0.276). The number of total views was higher for the misleading information group (median 83807 vs. 80237) but not at a level of statistical significance (p = 0.153). There were more videos explaining breast self-examination directed at women only, and there were determined to be few videos including men only or both genders.

Although there are many videos in English related to breast self-examination on YouTube, a great many of these contain misleading information. Therefore, for public information, there is a need for videos with full and accurate information to be made by universities, healthcare organisations and doctors not benefitting from the outcomes, to be uploaded to YouTube, which is a currently important source of information for the general population.