Evaluation of scientific reliability and quality of YouTube videos on cancer and nutrition

Objectives: YouTube is a video-sharing platform used by >> 2 billion people per month, and videos are watched in high numbers in the medical field. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the scientific reliability and the rela-tionship between the quality and popularity of the most watched YouTube videos on cancer and nutrition.Methods: YouTube videos were evaluated independently by two oncologists. The video quality was evaluated according to the internationally valid medical video or document evaluation scores: DISCERN score, modified DISCERN score, Journal of the American Medical Association score, and Global Quality Scale score.Results: Forty-six (58%) of the videos were uploaded to the platform by physicians or dietitians. Although 29 videos (36%) recommended a uniform diet, 51 videos (64%) had food suggestions that could be added to the diet. The most recommended foods were cruciferous (n = 16 [20%]; broccoli and cauliflower) and berries (n = 12% [15%]; strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries). When the video quality was evaluated according to the DISCERN score, only 17 (21%) videos were evaluated as good or excellent. There was a strong negative correlation between the DISCERN score and the number of video views and likes (r =-0.426; P < 0.001 and r =-0.226; P = 0.017, respectively).Conclusions: Videos about cancer and nutrition were highly watched, but the overall quality and reliability were low. Although the source of the information presented and its deficiencies and sometimes misleading statements were found, it was determined that the videos with less reliability were watched more. There is a need to produce quality content on YouTube or similar platforms. (c) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.