YouTube and Low Back Pain: Education or Misinformation?

What is it?

Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Many patients now turn to YouTube for information, influenced by the platform’s apomediation effect—where users bypass medical intermediaries in favor of peer-generated content.

Why is it important?

This article explains that while YouTube is widely used to understand back pain, 84% of Spanish-language videos offer poor educational value. According to the research of Fontaines-Ruiz et al., most content lacks scientific accuracy, message clarity, and epistemological authority—raising serious concerns about patient safety.

Key Findings from the Study

YouTube as an Apomediary

According to the study, YouTube operates as an informal health educator, but its open-access nature and lack of quality filters make it prone to disinformation. The trust given to influencers is often based on likes, views, and followers, not credentials.

The Sample

• 70 Spanish-language videos on LBP analyzed.

• Chosen based on Google Trends and YouTube’s relevance algorithm.

• Sources included physiatrists, doctors, trainers, and journalists.

Evaluation Criteria

Three validated instruments assessed:

1. Educational value: scientific accuracy, clarity, design.

2. Content quality: coverage of symptoms, diagnosis, treatment.

3. Global utility: usefulness for patient decision-making.

How Good is the Information?

Major Weaknesses

The main findings indicate:

• Only 8.6% had high educational value.

• 97% of rehabilitation videos scored low.

• 91% of videos failed to deliver clear diagnostic insights.

• 77% of creators lacked thematic authority.

Most Popular ≠ Most Useful

Despite high engagement (median 287,703 views), users often do not finish watching the videos. This behavior reflects a trend towards instant gratification and short-form content consumption, which undermines deep learning.

The Risks of Misinformation

• Patients may adopt harmful myths about back pain.

• Misleading content can disrupt doctor-patient trust.

• Commercial interests often drive content creation, not health outcomes.

FAQs

What is the apomediation effect in health content?
It’s when users bypass healthcare professionals and rely on peer-generated content or influencers to interpret health issues.

Why are low-quality videos so popular?
Because algorithms reward engagement metrics like likes and views, not accuracy or educational merit.

Can YouTube be a reliable source for health advice?
Only if videos are produced by qualified professionals and peer-reviewed for accuracy.

Future Directions

The study suggests further exploration of:

• Audience reception analysis via comment sections.

• Tools to boost health literacy for better content evaluation.

• Guidelines for evidence-based YouTube content in Spanish.