Most Health Videos on YouTube, Including Doctors’, Lack Reliable Medical Evidence, Study Finds (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — A new study has found that most health-related videos on YouTube — including many produced by doctors — fail to provide reliable, evidence-based medical information, raising concerns about misinformation on one of the world’s largest platforms.
According to research led by Kang Eun-kyo, a professor at the National Cancer Center in South Korea, only about one in five YouTube videos on cancer and diabetes contained high-quality scientific evidence. The findings were published this week in JAMA Network Open, a journal of the American Medical Association.
The research team analyzed 309 Korean-language YouTube videos on cancer and diabetes uploaded over two days in June last year. Each video was evaluated and graded from A to D based on the strength of evidence supporting its medical claims. Roughly three-quarters of the videos were produced by physicians, and the average view count exceeded 160,000.
Despite the prominence of medical professionals, just 19.7 percent of the videos earned an A grade, indicating strong scientific support. Another 14.6 percent received a B grade, while 3.2 percent were rated C. The majority — 62.5 percent — fell into the D category, meaning they relied on weak evidence or none at all.
The study also found that videos with poor or no scientific backing attracted 35 percent more views on average than those grounded in strong evidence, underscoring a disconnect between popularity and reliability.
Professor Kang said the findings highlight how medical authority is often used to legitimize claims that lack empirical support. She called for clearer guidelines for evidence-based health content, stronger science communication training for medical professionals, and platform-level reforms — including algorithm changes — that prioritize scientific rigor over engagement metrics.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
