Commenting on chiropractic: A YouTube analysis

Abstract

Numerous studies have examined health-related YouTube videos, but very few studies have also investigated the health-related discussions taking place in YouTube comment sections. Taking up the topic of chiropractic, a popular form of “alternative medicine”, this study first sought to determine if debates or controversies surrounding chiropractic were present in the comments on popular YouTube chiropractic videos. If debates were present, the goal was then to use iterative coding methods to map out how debates were unfolding by describing the general characteristics of the discussions as well as the arguments used by opposing groups. Lastly, the objective was to determine levels of hostility in the debates. Our results demonstrate that there are debates taking place over the efficacy and legitimacy of chiropractic. Furthermore, while our study maps out a wide variety of arguments and debate characteristics, key findings show that those arguing “for chiropractic” rely primarily on personal anecdotes and simultaneously raise issues with “pills” and the pharmaceutical industry. Those opposing chiropractic primarily argue that chiropractic is not sufficiently supported by evidence or “science” and often provide links to additional literature. Overall, hostility levels are quite low in the debates. With an abundance of perspectives being shared in a wide variety of manners, this study suggests that YouTube constitutes a space where individuals can discuss and debate health-related topics like chiropractic. In addition, it sheds light on the rationale underpinning diverse chiropractic-related perspectives and arguments.

Keywords:

• chiropractic
• YouTube
• social media
• argumentative discourse

Public Interest Statement

Complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) continues to grow in popularity in North America, but it also faces growing criticism. Typically the criticism of chiropractic, a popular form of CAM, focuses on the lack of evidence supporting claims of effectiveness. As social media increasingly plays an influential role in contributing to the public’s understanding of various health care treatments and issues, this study sought to identify if debates surrounding chiropractic were present in the comment section on popular YouTube chiropractic-related videos. When discovering that such debates did have a significant presence, the study then mapped out the debates were unfolding. This research sheds light on how individuals show support for chiropractic and how others critique it. Exploring how health-related debates unfold in social media is valuable for the general public, communication researchers, as well as public health researchers and policy makers.

Competing Interests

The authors declare no competing interest.

Acknowledgements

We extend big thanks to Philip Klostermann for designing and building the YouTube scraper program, and for assisting us with its use. In addition to acknowledging valuable funding support from the Trudeau Foundation, we would also like to think Alberta Innovates-Health Solutions, The Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Women’s and Children’s Health Research Institute, University of Alberta for their generous support of SafetyNET. Lastly, thanks goes out to Robyn Hyde-Lay for continual assistance with all projects.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Canadian Institutes for Health Research.

Notes on contributors

Timothy Caulfield

The Health Law Institute (HLI) is a research team at the University of Alberta that is focused on health and science policy issues. The HLI is engaged in interdisciplinary research on a broad range of topics, including, inter alia, stem cell research, genetics, precision medicine, transplantation, complementary and alternative medicine, and health promotion. This work includes an exploration of how science, health and policy controversies are represented in popular culture. The HLI has, for example, explored how genetics and stem cell research are represented in the news media. This study is part of ongoing work exploring the ways in which complementary and alternative treatments are portrayed on a range of platforms, including twitter, YouTube, websites and the news media.