Studies of health literacy,
such as the National Assessment of Adult Literacy conducted in 2003, estimated
that only 12% of adults had proficient health literacy skills.
YouTube hosts millions of videos related to health care.
The Health Information
National Trends Survey reports that 75% of Americans go to the internet first
when looking for information about health or medical topics. YouTube is one of
the most popular online platforms, with billions of views every day, and has
emerged as a significant source of health information.
Several public health
agencies, such as state
health departments, have invested resources in YouTube as a channel for
health communication. Patients with chronic health conditions especially rely
on social media, including YouTube videos, to learn more about how to manage
their conditions.
But video recommendations
on such sites could exacerbate preexisting disparities in health.
A significant fraction of
the U.S. population is estimated to have limited health literacy, or the
capacity to obtain, process and understand basic health information, such as
the ability to read and comprehend prescription bottles, appointment slips or
discharge instructions from health clinics.
Studies of health literacy,
such as the National Assessment of Adult Literacy conducted in 2003, estimated
that only 12% of adults had proficient health literacy skills. This has been
corroborated in subsequent studies.
I’m a professor of
information systems, and my own research has examined how social media platforms
such as YouTube widen such health literacy disparities by steering users toward
questionable content.
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