YouTube videos in Japanese as a source of information on nocturnal enuresis: A content-quality and reliability analysis

Background This study aimed to evaluate the quality and reliability of Japanese YouTube videos pertaining to nocturnal enuresis (NE). Methods In this cross-sectional study, we performed a YouTube search using the keyword "Ya-nyou-shou" ('nocturnal enuresis' in Japanese). We considered the first 200 videos listed based on the YouTube default option. Videos that were irrelevant, concerned personal experiences or adult NE, had non-Japanese content, were advertisements, were duplicated, and those without audio were excluded. Video features and upload source were recorded. The Modified DISCERN, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), and Global Quality Scale (GQS) scoring systems were used for analysis. Two independent pediatricians, specialists in nephrology and urology, completed the scoring. Correlation analysis was performed between video features and the three quality analysis scores. Results In total, 72 videos were analyzed. The most common upload sources were physicians (40.3%) and non-physician health personnel (40.3%). The median modified DISCERN, JAMA, and GQS scores for the videos were 1 (lowest: 0; highest: 4), 2 (lowest: 1; highest: 3), and 2 (lowest: 1; highest: 4), respectively. The highest scores for video power index (VPI) were for independent users (6.43 points) and physicians (3.05 points). There were positive correlations between the VPI and video length and modified DISCERN and GQS scores. No video presenter disclosed conflicts of interest. Conclusions Most Japanese YouTube videos about NE were low quality. Healthcare experts should be encouraged to upload better quality content.