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YouTube as an information source for bleeding gums: A quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Jiali Wu1, Danlin Li2, Minkui Lin1,2
1Fujian Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Fujian Provincial Engineering Research Center of Oral Biomaterial, Stomatological Key Lab of Fujian College and University, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Fujian Medical University, Fujian, China.
Plos One
|March 6, 2024
Summary
Many YouTube videos about bleeding gums lack reliable information. Dental professionals must improve content quality to ensure accurate health guidance for patients seeking online dental care advice.
Area of Science:
- Dental Health
- Online Health Information
- Medical Content Analysis
Background:
- Gum bleeding is a prevalent dental concern driving online health information searches.
- YouTube is a primary source for medical information, yet its content quality for specific conditions remains under-evaluated.
- No recent studies have quantitatively and qualitatively assessed bleeding gum content on YouTube.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative analysis of YouTube videos addressing "bleeding gums".
- To evaluate the quality, content accuracy, and reliability of online information regarding bleeding gums.
- To identify the characteristics of high-quality bleeding gum educational videos on YouTube.
Main Methods:
- A systematic search for "bleeding gums" videos on YouTube was conducted.
- 107 videos from the first 200 results were analyzed for descriptive statistics (upload time, length, engagement metrics) and quality scores (GQS, usefulness, DISCERN).
- Statistical analyses included Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney, and Spearman correlation tests.
Main Results:
- The majority of videos (64.48%) originated from reputable sources like hospitals and dental professionals.
- While symptom coverage was high (95.33%), only 14.02% of videos were rated as "good" quality.
- "Good" quality videos were significantly longer, whereas "poor" quality videos had a substantially higher average viewing rate.
Conclusions:
- YouTube videos on bleeding gums offer moderate quality but often present incomplete and unreliable information.
- Inaccurate online health content can negatively impact patient understanding and treatment decisions.
- Collaborative efforts among dental professionals, organizations, and YouTube are crucial to enhance the reliability of online dental information.
