Content Analysis of YouTube Videos Addressing Infant Hearing Loss: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background

The Internet has become a widely used and popular method for obtaining information about medical problems, including infant hearing loss.

Aims

This study examined the source, content, understandability, and actionability of information related to infant hearing loss.

Methods

The top viewed YouTube videos were identified and coded. The general information related to the video such as title, source, duration, date of upload, views, thumbs up, thumbs down, and location were extracted. The content of the video was extracted and coded using a pre-designed sheet. Patient Education Material Assessment Tool for Audiovisual materials (PEMAT-A/V) was used to check for the understandability and actionability.

Results

The videos with more than 1000 views were identified (n = 73) and included for further analysis. It was noted that consumer-created videos wereviewed more as compared to organization-created videos. The most common themes that emerged were diagnosis of hearing loss (88%), the importance of early hearing detection and intervention (74%), and universal newborn hearing screening (67%).

Conclusions

Overall, poor scores were reported for both actionability and understandability. This indicates that there is a need for improvement and a need for more information across all content areas relevant to infant hearing loss.

Keywords:

• Healthcare information
• infant hearing loss
• internet health information
• social media
• YouTube

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Dhanshree R. Gunjawate

Dhanshree R. Gunjawate is at Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India

Rohit Ravi

Rohit Ravi, is at Department of Audiology and Speech Language Pathology, Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore, Karnataka, India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, India

Monica L. Bellon-Harn

Monica L. Bellon-Harn is at Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA

Vinaya Manchaiah

Vinaya Manchaiah is at Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, USA