YouTube as a source of health information: Analysis of sun protection and skin cancer prevention related issues

Although social media ubiquitously supplements traditional information sources such as newspapers, magazines, radio, and television, investigation of online health information related to sun protection and skin cancer prevention has been scarce and largely limited to English language sources. Using the search terms “sun protection,” “sunscreen,” “skin cancer prevention,” “tanning bed” and “vitamin D,” we investigated 281 YouTube videos presented in 6 languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Swedish, and Danish. For each video, we used a four-sectioned checklist to assess general information, popularity, expert driven measures, and heuristic driven measures. Differences between languages were detected: English language videos were most frequently viewed (median number of views: 5488 compared to 248 -1591 in other languages). Approximately 60% of videos revealed negative effects of solar ultraviolet (UV)-exposure. The majority of videos (75%) targeted adults. Videos on tanning beds and sunscreen contained false or misleading information 40% and 20% of the time, respectively. We confirm observations made with respect to other medical disciplines that the general quality of YouTube contributions is often inferior and does not deliver sustainable information. Other sources of information should be included when searching for health information online.