Exploration of Skin of Color Dermatology Content on YouTube
July 2023 | Volume 22 | Issue 7 | 678 | Copyright © July 2023
Published online June 27, 2023
Jason Patel MDa, Ann Carol Braswell BSa*, Victoria S. Jiminez BSa*, Michayla B. Brown MSa, Corey L. Hartman MDb
aSchool of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
bDepartment of Dermatology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Abstract
Background: There is a lack of diversity in dermatology regarding skin of color-related content. This has negative implications for patients of color and continues to be a hurdle to providing proper care to these patient populations. As patients increasingly look to the internet as a resource to gain insight on dermatologic conditions and potential treatment options, the information presented must be accurate and informational. The goals of this study included identifying and analyzing skin of color-related dermatology content found on YouTube, characterizing the content creators, and comparing board-certified dermatologists’ content to that created by other YouTubers.
Methods: A total of 23 dermatology terms associated with skin of color were searched on YouTube. The top 9 relevant videos for each search term were analyzed for views, comments, likes, and content creator classification. Each video was also labeled as being promotional or educational. The content creator and the content subject were also analyzed. Content created by board-certified dermatologists as well as physicians was then compared to content created by non-physicians. Statistical comparison was done using Mann-Whitney U tests and Pearson’s Chi-squared test where appropriate.
Results: The most popular search term was dandruff while the least popular search terms were dermatosis papulose nigra, eczema, and central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia. Of the total 207 videos analyzed (Figure 1), the majority of video profiles consisted of medical interest groups (77, 37.2%), whereas the majority of video subjects consisted of board-certified dermatologists (50, 24.2%). In contrast, the least common video profiles belonged to patients (2, 1%), and the least common video subjects were news media (2, 1%). When comparing board-certified dermatologists to all other classifications of content creators, there was a significant difference in views, comments, and likes (views P=0.0477, comments P=0.0324, likes P=0.0203). When comparing all physicians to all other content creators, there was a similar trend (views P=0.0009, comments P<0.0001, likes P<0.0001). Physicians were significantly less likely to include promotional content in their videos when compared to other content creators (P=0.0170).
Conclusion: Although skin of color-related dermatology content on YouTube is primarily educational, board-certified dermatologists are underrepresented as content creators on YouTube. It is pertinent that physicians continue to make content on YouTube and other social media platforms so that patients can have access to accurate yet salient information about their conditions.
Patel J, Braswell AC, Jiminez VS, et al. Exploration of skin of color dermatology content on YouTube. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(7):678-684. doi:10.36849/JDD.6995.
INTRODUCTION
The field of dermatology is one of the least ethnically and racially diverse medical specialties. Only 3% of dermatologists in the United States are Black and 4.2% are Hispanic, compared with 12.8% and 16.3%, respectively, of the total population.1 Along with the lack of diversity among dermatology providers, textbook representation of dermatological conditions in patients with skin of color has also been found to be lacking.2 Diversity in the current literature even appears to be an issue as the average percentage of overall publications relevant to skin of color among the top dermatology journals is quite low, with the higher-impact journals ranking the lowest in skin of color content.3 The lack of diversity in dermatology has negative implications for patients of color and continues to be a hurdle to providing proper care to these patient populations. Organizations within the field of dermatology, such as the Skin of Color Society (SOCS), the Society for Investigative Dermatology (SID), and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), have begun prioritizing diversity in the specialty through the development of task forces and committees. While beneficial, these initiatives are somewhat slow to take effect, and racial disparities in dermatology continue to be an issue.4
Patients are increasingly looking to internet resources to gain insight into dermatologic conditions and potential treatment options. Previous studies have outlined the lack of board-certified dermatologists among people generating top skin of color dermatology-related content on social media platforms5; however, no studies regarding the skin of color dermatology
