Effectiveness of Social Video Platforms in Promoting COVID-19 Vaccination Among Youth: A Content-Specific Analysis of COVID-19 Vaccination Topic Videos on Bilibili

BACKGROUND: With the widespread promotion of the COVID-19 vaccination in China, videos about the vaccination have become increasingly available on social video platforms. With the User Generated Content model, different creators’ interpretations of COVID-19 vaccines may influence the attitudes towards the vaccines and vaccination. OBJECTIVE: To explore the overview of COVID-19 vaccine-related videos on Bilibili, discussing the communication effects of COVID-19 topic videos and its influencing factors. METHODS: A content analysis was applied to the 202 video samples obtained through data mining regarding the creator’s information, video presentation, and COVID-19 vaccine-related content. RESULTS: Individuals and medical professionals preferred VLOG videos, media chose to upload informational videos, and enterprises preferred to post showcase videos. Individuals were more likely to discuss the adverse reactions in their videos, while medical professionals were more likely to discuss the vaccination process for the COVID-19 vaccine. Videos with core issues positively influenced the video’s dissemination breadth. The attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine in the videos positively influence the recognition of the videos. The richness of knowledge points related to the COVID-19 vaccine negatively affected the recognition and participation. CONCLUSION: Social video platforms could play an active role in the vaccination promotion for the youth. Health promotion-related departments and individuals could strengthen agenda setting, grasp the characteristics of young groups, and express positive attitudes toward health issues to achieve better health (vaccine) promotion.