Safe sleep practices for infants: comprehensive analysis of YouTube videos

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to analyze the accuracy, quality, and reliability of the content of YouTube videos on safe sleep for infants in relation to the safe sleep recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Methods: The research was conducted by searching the video-sharing platform YouTube for the keywords "safe sleep." The videos were subjected to a review and evaluation process conducted by two independent reviewers. The modified DISCERN and Global Quality Scale (GQS) were employed to assess the quality and reliability of the videos. The content of the videos was evaluated using an eight-item checklist prepared by the researchers in accordance with the recommendations of the AAP. The Kruskal-Wallis-H, Mann-Whitney U, and Pearson correlation analyses were employed for the purpose of data analysis. All statistical data were deemed significant at the 0.05 level. Results: The 100 most relevant videos were viewed, and 85 videos that met the inclusion criteria were subjected to analysis. The mean values for the quality and reliability of the videos are 2.98 for the modified DISCERN score and 3.26 for the GQS. The mean value for the total checklist score was 4.78 out of 8. As indicated by the checklist developed in this study for the assessment of safe sleep video content, four of the eight items were present in over 80 % of the videos. The remaining four items were present in less than 42 % of the videos. A strong correlation was observed between the total score on the checklist and the modified DISCERN score (r = 0.915, p <0.001) and the GQS (r = 0.918, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The evidence presented in this study indicates that improvements are needed in the quality and reliability of content on safe sleep practices for infants on YouTube.