Analysing Turkish-Language Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Videos on YouTube: Assessing Content Quality and Educational Value

Elif Ozeller, Elif Aktı, Merve Toçoğlu, Hüsna Sarıca Çevik

Keywords: HPV; Vaccination; Gardasil; YouTube; Quality; Primary Care

Background:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection significantly impacts global health by leading HPV-related cancers. Despite effective vaccines, social media misinformation complicates public health efforts. Assessment of HPV vaccination content on YouTube is crucial due to its influence on public perception.

Research questions:

What is the quality and educational value of Turkish-language YouTube videos about HPV vaccination?
How understandable, actionable, transparent, reliable, and popular are these videos?

Method:

Researchers conducted searches using YouTube with keywords: HPV aşısı (HPV vaccine); Gardasil aşısı (Gardasil vaccine); serviks kanseri aşısı (cervical cancer vaccine). The top 50 videos per keyword were included. Evaluation utilised validated scales: The Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT) for understandability&actionability, JAMA Score for transparency&reliability, Video Power Index (VPI) for popularity, Global Quality Scale (GQS) and Video Information&Quality Index (VIQI) for quality. Higher scores obtained from VIQI and VPI scales indicate higher quality and popularity, respectively.

Results:

After duplications were removed, total of 83 videos were included; their median duration was 95 seconds (IQR=105). The median JAMA score of videos was 2 (IQR=1), indicating low transparency&reliability. The GQS median score was 3 (IQR=2), indicating moderate overall quality. PEMAT scores had medians of 66% (IQR=25). The median of VIQI scores was 15 (IQR=4), VPI scores was 144 (IQR=1274). There were no statistically significant differences in quality metrics between more and less popular videos, suggesting that popularity does not necessarily correlate with higher quality or more reliable content. 98.75% of the videos were produced by healthcare professionals (HCPs), predominantly gynaecologists (86.4%). There were no family doctors (FDs)/general practitioners (GPs) among the speakers.

Conclusions:

Despite mostly being produced by HCPs, YouTube videos were of moderate quality and generally inadequate in promoting HPV vaccination. The involvement of FDs/GPs, which are the pillars of preventive healthcare, including HPV vaccination, could improve the preventive perspective of the information presented.

Points for discussion:

What resources does the public use in your country when seeking information about HPV vaccines?

Considering the increasing use of video sharing and social media platforms, should family doctors/general practitioners actively provide information on these platforms?

What do you think about the videos' overall moderate quality and low reliability despite being produced by healthcare professionals, predominantly gynaecologists?

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