YouTube as a Source for Breastfeeding Education

A Study on Quality and Content Reliability

Bibliographic Data

ID22006718
AuthorsHatice Bulut (0000-0001-5574-5681, Süleyman Demirel University, corresponding author), Gamze Nalbant (0000-0002-5414-9383, Süleyman Demirel University), Turki S Alqurashi (0000-0001-9920-5564, Umm al-Qura University)
Year2026
Volume16
Issue2
Publication date2026-04-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSAGE Open (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2158-2440 • E-ISSN: 2158-2440
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/21582440261456432
OpenAlexW7164503613
LanguageEN
References cited27

Breast milk is an ideal and unique nutritional source for the healthy growth and development of babies. Breastfeeding education for pregnant women and mothers is one of the most effective methods for increasing breastfeeding rates. With the rise of internet use globally, online platforms like YouTube have become an important source of access to health information. However, questions remain regarding the accuracy and reliability of this content. This study aims to assess the quality and reliability of Turkish-language YouTube videos offering breastfeeding education. This descriptive study examined videos retrieved through searches using the keywords “Breastfeeding,”“Breast milk,” and “Lactation,” using YouTube’s default “relevance” and “most viewed” filters. Our analysis revealed that the content primarily focused on practical topics such as increasing breast milk supply (23.0%) and breastfeeding techniques (19.0%), while critical issues such as medication use during breastfeeding were largely overlooked. Although more than half of the videos featured health professionals as speakers (55.0%), the mean information quality score was 3.17 out of 5, while the mean total DISCERN quality score was 3.11 out of 5. Furthermore, content from medical authorities was quite limited. These findings highlight the significant gap between the high demand for accessible breastfeeding support and the availability of reliable, evidence-based guidance on popular online platforms. Health authorities in Türkiye and globally need to develop a stronger presence on YouTube to prevent misinformation, fill content gaps, and provide reliable support to breastfeeding mothers

Breast feeding · Breastfeeding · Content analysis · Descriptive statistics · Health care · The Internet · Breastfeeding Practices and Influences · Child Development and Digital Technology · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility

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