Understanding the content of COVID-19 vaccination and pregnancy videos on YouTube: An analysis of videos published at the start of the vaccine rollout

Figures & data

Table 1. Associations between video upload source and video characteristics, n = 50.

Video upload source
	Total (n=50)	Consumer, n=8	Medical professional, n=20	Television or internet-based news, n=22	p-value
Video characteristics		N(%)	N (%)	N (%)
1.Number of views	4,589,613	277,304 (6.04)	1,208,967 (26.3)	3,103,342 (67.6)
					0.425
Mean (SD)	91,792.26 [359,593.50]	34,663.00 [28,571.676]	60,448.35 [72,388.46]	141,061.00 [540,353.89]
Range	4,561–2,556,197	4,691–75,575	5,468–232,107	4,561–2,556,197
2. Video length					0.511
Mean (SD)	9:11 [8:27]	10:10[08:38]	09:11[06:16]	08:51[10:17]
Range, mm:ss	00:38-41:18	01:57-24:52	01:56-20:19	00:38-41:18
3.Video Upload date					0.591
04/14/20-09-14-2020	7 (14.0)	1 (12.5)	4 (20.0)	2 (9.1)
09-15-20-02-14-2021	43 (86.0)	7 (87.5)	16 (80.0)	20 (90.9)
4.Mentions need for volunteers					0.465
Yes	1 (2.0)	0 (.0)	1 (5.0)	0 (.0)
No	49 (98.0)	8 (100.0)	19 (95.0)	22 (100.0)
5. Mentions vaccine was rushed or rapidly developed					0.091
Yes	6 (12.0)	2 (25.0)	0 (.0)	4 (18.2)
No	44 (88.0)	6 (75.0)	20 (100.0)	18 (81.8)
6. Mentions emergency use					0.016*
Yes	5 (10.0)	0 (.0)	5 (25.0)	0 (.0)
No	45 (90.0)	8 (100.0)	15 (75.0)	22 (100.0)
7. Mentions adverse reactions and/or safety concerns					0.440
Yes	16 (32.0)	4 (50.0)	5 (25.0)	7 (31.8)
No	34 (68.0)	4 (50.0)	15 (75.0)	15 (68.2)
8. Mentions a specific company manufacturing vaccine					0.256
Yes	22 (44.0)	5 (62.5)	10 (50.0)	7 (31.8)
No	28 (56.0)	3 (37.5)	10 (50.0)	15 (68.2)
9. Mentions a human trial					0.036*
Yes	26 (52.0)	6 (75.0)	13 (65.0)	7 (31.8)
No	24 (48.0)	2 (25.0)	7 (35.0)	15 (68.2)
10. Mentions an animal trial					0.512
Yes	5 (10.0)	1 (12.5)	3 (15.0)	1 (4.5)
No	45 (90.0)	7 (87.5)	17 (85.0)	21 (95.5)
11. Mentions anti-vaccination sentiment, fear, or distrust of vaccines					0.018*
Yes	5 (10.0)	3 (37.5)	1 (5.0)	1 (4.5)
No	45 (90.0)	5 (62.5)	19 (95.0)	21 (95.5)
12. Mentions how long immunity will last					0.560
Yes	3 (6.0)	0 (.0)	2 (10.0)	1 (4.5)
No	47 (94.0)	8 (100.0)	18 (90.0)	21 (95.5)
13. Mentions ability to distribute vaccine widely					0.465
Yes	1 (2.0)	0 (.0)	1 (5.0)	0 (.0)
No	49 (98.0)	8 (100.0)	19 (95.0)	22 (100.0)
14. Mentions vaccine dosing					0.348
Yes	9 (18.0)	2 (25.0)	5 (25.0)	2 (9.1)
No	41(82.0)	6 (75.0)	15 (75.0)	20 (90.9)
15. Mentions herd immunity					0.632
Yes	3 (6.0)	0 (.0)	1 (5.0)	2 (9.1)
No	47 (94.0)	8 (100.0)	19 (95.0)	20 (90.9)
16. Mentions benefits of vaccines					0.659
Yes	19 (38.0)	3 (37.5)	9 (45.0)	7 (31.8)
No	31 (62.0)	5 (62.5)	11 (55.0)	15 (68.2)
17. Mentions harm of vaccines					0.086
Yes	4 (8.0)	2 (25.0)	0 (.0)	2 (9.1)
No	46 (92.0)	6 (75.0)	20 (100.0)	20 (90.9)
18. Mentions passive immunity in general					0.011*
Yes	9 (18.0)	2 (25.0)	7 (35.0)	0 (.0)
No	41 (82.0)	6 (75.0)	13 (65.0)	22 (100.0)
19. Mentions COVID-19 vaccine can make someone sterile					0.091
Yes	2 (4.0)	1 (12.5)	1 (5.0)	0 (.0)
No	47 (94.0)	6 (75.0)	19 (95.0)	22 (100.0)
Unsure	1 (2.0)	1 (12.5)	0 (.0)	0 (.0)
20. Mentions COVID-19 vaccine unlikely to/will not make someone sterile					0.150
Yes	13 (26.0)	2 (25.0)	8 (40.0)	3 (13.6)
No	37 (74.0)	6 (75.0)	12 (60.0)	19 (86.4)
21. Mentions vaccine is unlikely to/will not cause harm in breastfeeding					0.034*
Yes	9 (18.0)	1 (12.5)	7 (35.0)	1 (4.5)
No	41 (82.0)	7 (87.5)	13 (65.0)	21 (85.5)
22. Mentions vaccine is safe					0.795
Yes	8 (16.0)	2 (25.0)	3 (15.0)	3 (13.6)
No	36 (72.0)	6 (75.0)	14 (70.0)	16 (72.7)
Likely	6 (16.0)	0 (.0)	3 (15.0)	3 (13.6)
23. Mentions having conversation with clinician about getting COVID-19 vaccine					0.364
Yes	17 (34.0)	1 (12.5)	8 (40.0)	8 (36.4)
No	33 (66.0)	7 (87.5)	12 (60.0)	14 (63.6)
24. Mentions studies didn’t include pregnant patients					0.745
Yes	28 (56.0)	5 (62.5)	12 (60.0)	11 (50.0)
No	22 (44.0)	3 (37.5)	8 (40.0)	11 (50.0)
25. Mentions American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)					0.662
Yes	14 (28.0)	2 (25.0)	7 (35.0)	5 (22.7)
No	36 (72.0)	6 (75.0)	13 (65.0)	17 (77.2)
26. Mentions Society for Maternal and Fetal Medicine					0.041*
Yes	7 (14.0)	2 (25.0)	5 (25.0)	0 (.0)
No	43 (86.0)	6 (75.0)	15 (75.0)	22 (100.0)
27. Mentions passing maternal antibodies through breastmilk/breastfeeding					0.041*
Yes	7 (14.0)	2 (25.0)	5 (25.0)	0 (.0)
No	43 (86.0)	6 (75.0)	15 (75.0)	22 (100.0)
28. Mentions there is not enough data regarding effect of vaccine on breastmilk/nursing mothers					0.077
Yes	8 (16.0)	1 (12.5)	6 (30.0)	1 (4.5)
No	42 (84.0)	7 (87.5)	14 (70.0)	21 (95.5)
29. Mentions there is not enough data regarding the vaccine and pregnant people					0.377
Yes	24 (48.0)	3 (37.5)	8 (40.0)	13 (59.1)
No	26 (52.0)	5 (62.5)	12 (60.0)	9 (40.9)
30. Mentions the Syncytin-1 protein					0.512
Yes	5 (10.0)	1 (12.5)	3 (15.0)	1 (4.5)
No	45 (90.0)	7 (87.5)	17 (85.0)	21 (95.5)
31. Mentions pregnant people who get COVID-19 have more risk to experience a worse outcome					0.167
Yes	27 (54.0)	3 (37.5)	14 (70.0)	10 (45.5)
No	23 (46.0)	5 (62.5)	6 (30.0)	12 (54.5)
32. Mentions cannot get COVID-19 from vaccine					0.277
Yes	3 (6.0)	1 (12.5)	2 (10.0)	0 (.0)
No	47 (94.0)	7 (87.5)	18 (90.0)	22 (100.0)
33. Mentions vaccine contains MRNA					0.352
Yes	10 (20.0)	1 (12.5)	6 (30.0)	3 (13.6)
No	40 (80.0)	7 (87.5)	14 (70.0)	19 (86.4)
34. Mentions a vaccine that contains adenovirus					0.465
Yes	1 (2.0)	0 (.0)	1 (5.0)	0 (.0)
No	49 (98.0)	8 (100.0)	19 (95.0)	22 (100.0)

*denotes statistically significant at a p < .05 significance level.