YouTube as a Source of Influenza Vaccine Information in Spanish

Our objective was to analyze the information in Spanish on YouTube about the influenza vaccine. In August 2020, a search was conducted on YouTube using the terms “Vacuna gripe”, “Vacuna influenza”, and “Vacuna gripa”. Associations between the type of authorship, country of publication, and other var...

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Main Authors: Ignacio Hernández-García, Teresa Giménez-Júlvez
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
Series:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/2/727
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spelling doaj-f1503fc5e024415da88ea58f4e31a3942021-01-16T00:05:56ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012021-01-011872772710.3390/ijerph18020727YouTube as a Source of Influenza Vaccine Information in SpanishIgnacio Hernández-García0Teresa Giménez-Júlvez1Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Lozano Blesa University Clinical Hospital of Zaragoza, Calle San Juan Bosco 15, 50009 Zaragoza, SpainDepartment of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Miguel Servet University Hospital of Zaragoza, Paseo Isabel la Católica 1, 50009 Zaragoza, SpainOur objective was to analyze the information in Spanish on YouTube about the influenza vaccine. In August 2020, a search was conducted on YouTube using the terms “Vacuna gripe”, “Vacuna influenza”, and “Vacuna gripa”. Associations between the type of authorship, country of publication, and other variables (such as tone, hoaxes, and vaccination recommendations) were studied via univariate analysis. A total of 100 videos were evaluated; 57.0% were created in Mexico (24.0%), Argentina (17.0%), and Spain (16.0%), and 74.0% were produced by mass media or health professionals. Positive messages were detected in 65.0%. The main topics were the benefits of the vaccine (59.0%) and adverse effects (39.0%). Hoaxes were detected in 19 videos. User-generated content, compared to that of health professionals, showed a higher probability of hoaxes (odds ratio (OR) = 15.56), a lower positive tone (OR = 0.04), and less evidence of recommendations to vaccinate pregnant individuals (OR = 0.09) and people aged 60/65 or older. Videos published in Spain, in comparison with those from Hispanic America, presented significant differences in the positive tone of their messages (OR = 0.19) and in the evidence of the benefits of vaccination (OR = 0.32). A higher probability of hoaxes was detected in videos from Spain and the USA. Information in Spanish about the influenza vaccine on YouTube is usually not very complete. Spanish health professionals are urged to produce pro-vaccination videos that counteract hoaxes, and users in Hispanic America should be advised to consult videos produced in Hispanic American countries by health professionals to obtain reliable information.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/2/727influenza vaccineYouTubeSpanishinformationhoaxesevaluation
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Ignacio Hernández-García
Teresa Giménez-Júlvez
spellingShingle Ignacio Hernández-García
Teresa Giménez-Júlvez
YouTube as a Source of Influenza Vaccine Information in Spanish
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
influenza vaccine
YouTube
Spanish
information
hoaxes
evaluation
author_facet Ignacio Hernández-García
Teresa Giménez-Júlvez
author_sort Ignacio Hernández-García
title YouTube as a Source of Influenza Vaccine Information in Spanish
title_short YouTube as a Source of Influenza Vaccine Information in Spanish
title_full YouTube as a Source of Influenza Vaccine Information in Spanish
title_fullStr YouTube as a Source of Influenza Vaccine Information in Spanish
title_full_unstemmed YouTube as a Source of Influenza Vaccine Information in Spanish
title_sort youtube as a source of influenza vaccine information in spanish
publisher MDPI AG
series International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
issn 1661-7827
1660-4601
publishDate 2021-01-01
description Our objective was to analyze the information in Spanish on YouTube about the influenza vaccine. In August 2020, a search was conducted on YouTube using the terms “Vacuna gripe”, “Vacuna influenza”, and “Vacuna gripa”. Associations between the type of authorship, country of publication, and other variables (such as tone, hoaxes, and vaccination recommendations) were studied via univariate analysis. A total of 100 videos were evaluated; 57.0% were created in Mexico (24.0%), Argentina (17.0%), and Spain (16.0%), and 74.0% were produced by mass media or health professionals. Positive messages were detected in 65.0%. The main topics were the benefits of the vaccine (59.0%) and adverse effects (39.0%). Hoaxes were detected in 19 videos. User-generated content, compared to that of health professionals, showed a higher probability of hoaxes (odds ratio (OR) = 15.56), a lower positive tone (OR = 0.04), and less evidence of recommendations to vaccinate pregnant individuals (OR = 0.09) and people aged 60/65 or older. Videos published in Spain, in comparison with those from Hispanic America, presented significant differences in the positive tone of their messages (OR = 0.19) and in the evidence of the benefits of vaccination (OR = 0.32). A higher probability of hoaxes was detected in videos from Spain and the USA. Information in Spanish about the influenza vaccine on YouTube is usually not very complete. Spanish health professionals are urged to produce pro-vaccination videos that counteract hoaxes, and users in Hispanic America should be advised to consult videos produced in Hispanic American countries by health professionals to obtain reliable information.
topic influenza vaccine
YouTube
Spanish
information
hoaxes
evaluation
url https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/2/727
work_keys_str_mv AT ignaciohernandezgarcia youtubeasasourceofinfluenzavaccineinformationinspanish
AT teresagimenezjulvez youtubeasasourceofinfluenzavaccineinformationinspanish
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