New Publication: The Quality and Reliability of Vegan, Vegetarian, and Plant-Based Nutrition Videos on YouTube Were Evaluated

The study entitled “Healthy Eating in the Digital World: Reliability and Quality Analysis of Vegan, Vegetarian and Plant-Based Nutrition Videos on YouTube,” conducted by Res. Asst. Güldane Yıldırım, Assoc. Prof. Hatice Merve Bayram, and Prof. Arda Öztürkcan from the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Istanbul Gelisim University, Faculty of Health Sciences, was published in Volume 11, Issue 3 (2026) of the Izmir Katip Celebi University Faculty of Health Sciences Journal.

With the widespread use of social media platforms to access nutrition and health information, the reliability of digital content has become an important public health concern. In this context, the cross-sectional study conducted in January 2024 examined a total of 185 Turkish-language YouTube videos, including 75 on vegan nutrition, 76 on vegetarian nutrition, and 34 on plant-based nutrition. The information quality and reliability of the videos were evaluated using DISCERN, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria, and the Global Quality Scale (GQS).

The results showed that plant-based nutrition videos had higher quality and reliability scores compared to the other categories. While the DISCERN scores of vegan and vegetarian nutrition videos were classified as moderate, those of plant-based nutrition videos were classified as good. In addition, videos produced by physicians generally received higher quality and reliability scores, whereas content created by YouTubers received lower scores.

The relationships between video popularity, duration, and quality indicators were also evaluated. Positive correlations were identified between the number of likes or video duration and certain quality and reliability scores in some categories, although these relationships varied across video categories.

The findings highlighted that the quality and reliability of nutrition information shared on digital platforms may vary considerably. The study emphasized the importance of increasing the contribution of healthcare professionals to evidence-based digital content production to reduce misinformation and support public access to reliable nutrition information.

Click here to access the full article:
https://doi.org/10.61399/ikcusbfd.1626506