Skip to main content
Article
Zika Virus on YouTube: An Analysis of English-language Video Content by Source
Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
  • Corey H. Basch, William Patterson University
  • Isaac Chun-Hai Fung, Georgia Southern University
  • Rodney N. Hammond, William Patterson University
  • Elizabeth B. Blankenship, Georgia Southern University
  • Zion Tsz Ho Tse, Georgia Southern University
  • King-Wa Fu, University of Hong Kong
  • Patrick Ip, University of Hong Kong
  • Charles E. Basch, Columbia University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-26-2017
DOI
10.3961/jpmph.16.107
Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the source, length, number of views, and content of the most widely viewed Zika virus (ZIKV)-related YouTube videos. We hypothesized that ZIKV-related videos uploaded by different sources contained different content.

Methods: The 100 most viewed English ZIKV-related videos were manually coded and analyzed statistically.

Results: Among the 100 videos, there were 43 consumer-generated videos, 38 Internet-based news videos, 15 TV-based news videos, and 4 professional videos. Internet news sources captured over two-thirds of the total of 8 894 505 views. Compared with consumer-generated videos, Internet-based news videos were more likely to mention the impact of ZIKV on babies (odds ratio [OR], 6.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.64 to 23.76), the number of cases in Latin America (OR, 5.63; 95% CI, 1.47 to 21.52); and ZIKV in Africa (OR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.04 to 6.31). Compared with consumer-generated videos, TV-based news videos were more likely to express anxiety or fear of catching ZIKV (OR, 6.67; 95% CI, 1.36 to 32.70); to highlight fear of ZIKV among members of the public (OR, 7.45; 95% CI, 1.20 to 46.16); and to discuss avoiding pregnancy (OR, 3.88; 95% CI, 1.13 to 13.25).

Conclusions: Public health agencies should establish a larger presence on YouTube to reach more people with evidence-based information about ZIKV.

Copyright
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Citation Information
Corey H. Basch, Isaac Chun-Hai Fung, Rodney N. Hammond, Elizabeth B. Blankenship, et al.. "Zika Virus on YouTube: An Analysis of English-language Video Content by Source" Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health Vol. 50 Iss. 2 (2017) p. 133 - 140 ISSN: 2233-4521
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/isaac_fung1/100/