A total of 3 thousand people were surveyed. To participate in the survey, users had to have a good command of English and be over 18 years old.
According to a research report published in the BMC Public Health journal, 88% of YouTube users surveyed regularly watch health-related videos, and 85% decide what to do based on the suggestions in the videos they watch. In numerical terms, these are 2630 and 2542 respectively out of 3 thousand participants.
The survey results also showed that 44% of respondents said their decision to see a doctor was influenced by content on YouTube and nothing else. 16.5% often watched videos dedicated solely to health, 15.7% often made appropriate decisions.
The most popular videos among survey participants were exercise and bodybuilding videos: 53% of participants watched such videos. 47% of the participants watched videos about mental health, 42% about healthy living, 37% about diet, 28% about dermatology and 23% about cosmetics.
“Users turn to YouTube not only for health information but also as a decision-making tool. Combined with the generally positive attitude towards the quality of content on this platform, this can have serious health consequences, scientists said.
Source: Ferra
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