Is knee pain information on YouTube videos perceived to be helpful? An analysis of user comments and implications for dissemination on social media

OBJECTIVE: There is little research that characterises knee pain related information disseminated via social media. However, variances in the content and quality of such sources could compromise optimal patient care. This study explored the nature of the comments on YouTube videos related to non-specific knee pain, to determine their helpfulness to the users. METHODS: A systematic search identified 900 videos related to knee pain on the YouTube database. A total of 3537 comments from 58 videos were included in the study. A categorisation scheme was developed and 1000 randomly selected comments were analysed according to this scheme. RESULTS: The most common category was the users providing personal information or describing a personal situation (19%), followed by appreciation or acknowledgement of others’ inputs (17%) and asking questions (15%). Of the questions, 33% were related to seeking help in relation to a specific situation. Over 10% of the comments contained negativity or disagreement; while 4.4% of comments reported they intended to pursue an action, based on the information presented in the video and/or from user comments. CONCLUSION: It was observed that individuals commenting on YouTube videos on knee pain were most often soliciting advice and information specific to their condition. The analysis of comments from the most commented videos using a keyword-based search approach suggests that the YouTube videos can be used for disseminating general advice on knee pain.