Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to describe characteristics of the most widely viewed fluoride-related videos on the video sharing website, YouTube, and to compare the content of videos uploaded from different sources.
Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, a total of 100 fluoride-related, English language videos were manually coded and statistically analyzed.
Results: A majority of videos were consumer-generated. Videos that were consumer-generated had the most views of any source (9,737,845 views; 69.32%). Compared to consumer-generated videos, videos uploaded by a professional source were 15.52 times as likely to mention fluoridated toothpaste (Odds ratio, OR=15.52, 95% CI, 1.92, 125.35), 5.04 times as likely to mention the need for training of health personnel (OR=5.04, 95% CI, 1.15, 22.02), 9.69 times as likely to mention the benefits of fluoride on teeth (OR=9.69; 95% CI, 2.01, 46.81), 3.52 times as likely to mention that too much fluoride is negative (OR=3.52, 95% CI, 1.06, 11.73), and 3.44 times as likely to mention the dangers of fluoride use in children 1-5 years old (OR=3.44, 95% CI, 1.05, 11.23).
Conclusion: Widely-viewed fluoride-related information on YouTube has an anti-fluoride sentiment, focusing more on the danger of fluoride rather than its benefits.
Footnotes
Corey H. Basch, MPH, EdD* is a professor in the Department of Public Health, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ; Elizabeth B Blankenship, MPH* was an epidemiology student; Mary Elizabeth Goff, MPH was an epidemiology student; Jingjing Yin, PhD is an assistant professor, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences; all at Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA; Charles E Basch, PhD is the Richard March Hoe Professor of Health and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY; Aurea J DeLeon, BS, CHES was an undergraduate student in Public Health Education, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ; Isaac Chun-Hai Fung, PhD is an associate professor, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA.
*co-first authors
This manuscript supports the NDHRA priority area: Client level: Oral health care (health promotion: treatments, behaviors, products).
- Received March 20, 2018.
- Accepted July 21, 2018.
- Copyright © 2018 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association