YouTube as a source of information about air pollution on children’s health: importance for public health

Air pollution is a significant public health problem affecting children’s mortality, morbidity, and causing respiratory diseases and malignancy. Parents are increasingly using YouTube to obtain health information about their children. This study aims to analyze YouTube videos on the effects of air pollution on children’s health. A total of 200 English-language videos about air pollution and child health were assessed. We used the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria, Global Quality (GQ), and m-DISCERN scores to evaluate video quality, reliability, and content. Among the videos, 50 (79.4%) were categorized as “Informative” and 13 (20.6%) as “Misleading.” Academic institution-produced videos had higher JAMA and m-DISCERN scores compared to other groups (p < 0.001 for both). The median duration of videos in the Informative group was 164.5 seconds, while it was 68 seconds in the Misleading group (p = 0.001). We found that videos longer than 4 minutes had fewer views. YouTube videos on air pollution and child health should provide more accurate information and better sources, and additional reference materials should be included for parents. Universities, academic institutes, and international organizations should play a more active role by creating educational videos on the impact of air pollution on child health.