Reuben Victor M. Laguitan1, Angeli Abegail Naranja2, Gilbert D. Bernardino Jr3
Background: Dengue remains a pressing public health issue, particularly in tropical regions. As digital health-seeking increases, YouTube has become a widely used but largely unregulated platform for health communication. This study assessed the accuracy, quality, and reliability of dengue-related YouTube videos using two validated tools: modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) and the Global Quality Score (GQS).
Methods: A cross-sectional observational analysis was conducted in May 2025. Using five dengue-related search terms, 454 videos were retrieved; after eligibility screening, 107 unique English-language videos were evaluated. Metadata and engagement metrics were extracted. Two reviewers independently scored videos using mDISCERN and GQS, with discrepancies resolved by a third reviewer. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Spearman correlations were used to compare uploader types and examine associations.
Results: News agencies contributed the most videos (43.9%) but demonstrated only moderate reliability and quality (good reliability: 14.0%; excellent quality: 10.3%). Hospitals, health websites, and physician-uploaded videos showed higher mean scores (GQS ≥4.0; mDISCERN ≥3.1). No significant differences in quality across uploader types were observed (mDISCERN: P=0.78; GQS: P=0.27). Quality was positively associated with video duration (r=0.403, P<0.001) but not with views, likes, or comments. Overall, 32.7% of videos showed good reliability and 32.7% showed excellent quality.
Conclusions: YouTube contains valuable dengue-related content, but reliability and quality vary widely. Higher-quality institutional and physician-generated videos appear less visible, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary and platform-level strategies to amplify evidence-based health information during outbreaks.
