MEDICINE, PROJECT, YouTube, 2025 

Health Information and Libraries Journal 

Abstract Background: Social media platforms and user‐generated videos have become important channels and resources for health consumers seeking information and learning about asthma management. Objectives: This study examined the characteristics of asthma‐related videos on YouTube, health consumers' emotional responses to these videos and explored the video attributes influencing their emotional responses and attitudes toward asthma‐related content. Methods: The study employed manual subject analysis, sentiment analysis, descriptive statistical analysis and regression modelling. Results: The most popular content categories were Treatment, Prevention and Cause & Pathophysiology. Consumer interactions confirmed interest in Treatment. The time since posting, the number of tags, the subject of content and the general tone (positive/neutral/negative) of a video influenced whether it elicited positive or negative emotions. Discussion: The consumer interactions might indicate interest in a content category, but the analysis might show negative attitudes to that content. ‘Sign & Symptom’ content can reduce the positive emotional responses, and ‘Cause & Pathophysiology’ content can raise the negative emotional responses, thus reducing the consumers' expression of positive attitudes in different ways. Conclusion: The content priorities of video creators and health consumers differed, and keeping the emotional tone positive appears important for fostering positive emotional responses and attitudes. 

Open Access 

Wang, Y., Zhang, J., Yan, X., & Omwando, B. O. (2025). Health consumers’ emotional responses toward asthma videos on YouTube are influenced by time since posting, number of tags, subject of content and the emotional tone. Health Information & Libraries Journal, hir.12570. https://doi.org/10.1111/hir.12570