Currently submitted to: Journal of Medical Internet Research
Date Submitted: Feb 17, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Feb 18, 2026 - Apr 15, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Reliability, Quality, and Content of YouTube Videos on Xerostomia: A Cross-Sectional Study
ABSTRACT
Background:
Xerostomia is a prevalent condition that negatively affects quality of life. Patients increasingly seek health-related information through online platforms such as YouTube. Given the growing role of social media in digital health communication, evaluating the reliability and quality of publicly accessible video content is essential.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the reliability, quality, and content characteristics of YouTube videos related to xerostomia.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, a YouTube search was conducted on January 10, 2025, using the keyword “dry mouth.” The first 100 videos retrieved using the relevance filter were screened. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 46 videos were included in the analysis. Video reliability was evaluated using the Modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) instrument, while quality was assessed using the Global Quality Score (GQS) and the Video Information and Quality Index (VIQI). Videos were further categorized as “useful” or “misleading”. Engagement metrics, including number of likes, views, comments, interaction index, and viewing rate, were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 22.0, with significance set at P < .05.
Results:
A substantial proportion of videos demonstrated low reliability and quality. Approximately half of the included videos were classified as misleading. Useful videos had significantly higher mDISCERN, GQS, and VIQI scores compared with misleading videos (P < .05). In addition, useful videos showed significantly higher engagement metrics, including number of likes, views, comments, and viewing rate (P < .05). Positive correlations were observed between reliability and quality scores and engagement parameters.
Conclusions:
A considerable portion of YouTube videos on xerostomia contains low-quality or misleading information. Although higher-quality videos tend to receive greater user engagement, the presence of inaccurate content remains concerning. Increased involvement of healthcare professionals and academic institutions in producing evidence-based digital content may improve the quality of online health information. Clinical Trial: This cross-sectional study evaluated YouTube videos related to xerostomia. As the study analyzed publicly available data on an open-access platform and did not involve human participants or identifiable personal information, ethical approval was not required, consistent with previous similar studies.
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