The Health-Related Uses and Gratifications of YouTube: Motive, Cognitive Involvement, Online Activity, and Sense of Empowerment

ABSTRACT

To better understand the utility of YouTube as a health communication medium, this study utilizes Uses and Gratifications Theory to examine a relationship among motives for health-related YouTube use, cognitive involvement with health information on YouTube, post-exposure online activity, and health-related sense of empowerment. Surveys were analyzed from 263 participants who reported using YouTube for health-related reasons. Results revealed specific motives for health-related YouTube use and a significant relationship among the variables. Implications for how health care professionals could use YouTube for communicating with users about health-related topics and empowering them in health care are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Cognitive involvement
• health-related sense of empowerment
• motive
• online activity
• uses and gratifications theory
• YouTube

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Daniel Y. Park

Daniel Y. Park, MA ([email protected]), is a PhD student in Health Communication in the Department of Communication Studies at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis.

Elizabeth M. Goering

Elizabeth M. Goering, PhD ([email protected]), is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis.