Evaluating YouTube content on appendicitis: a comparative analysis of Arabic and English videos in terms of quality

Why Online Health Videos Matter

When sudden belly pain strikes, many people turn first to YouTube instead of a doctor. Appendicitis, a common cause of emergency surgery, is one of those conditions where late or wrong decisions can be dangerous. This study asked a simple but important question: if someone searches YouTube in English or Arabic to learn about appendicitis, what kind of information do they actually get—and is it reliable enough to help them make good choices about their health?

Looking Closely at Popular Videos

The researchers carried out a structured review of YouTube, collecting the first 65 English and 65 Arabic videos that appeared when searching for the medical term "appendicitis" in each language. After removing duplicates, off-topic clips, and non‑English or non‑Arabic material, they analyzed 118 videos in detail. For each video, they recorded basic features like its length, how many people had viewed it, how many thumbs‑up and comments it received, and how long it had been online. They also noted who posted it—such as doctors, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, or general media channels—and what aspects of appendicitis were discussed, from symptoms and diagnosis to treatment and recovery.

Who Is Doing the Talking?

The team found clear differences in who produced the content in each language. English appendicitis videos were more often uploaded by certified channels, especially nonprofit organizations such as hospitals and medical associations. In Arabic, there were far fewer certified uploaders overall, and official media outlets and individual physicians were the most common sources. Interestingly, the total number of followers or how many videos each uploader had produced did not differ much between languages. This means that while Arabic viewers may see more content that appears to come directly from doctors, English viewers are more likely to encounter material backed by institutions that have gone through YouTube’s health certification process.

What Viewers Actually Learn

Content focus also varied. English videos more often talked about how appendicitis is treated, such as surgery or non‑surgical options, whereas Arabic videos more frequently highlighted symptoms and how the illness first appears. Overall, many videos in both languages tried to cover several topics at once, from anatomy of the appendix to diagnosis and prognosis. To judge how useful the clips were for ordinary viewers, the researchers applied four established rating tools that look at clarity, accuracy, depth, and how easy it is for a viewer to know what to do next. These tools allowed them to compare videos systematically rather than relying on first impressions or popularity alone.

Quality: Good Enough, but Not Great

The ratings revealed that English appendicitis videos generally contained more precise and accurate information than Arabic ones, especially when it came to citing reliable sources like peer‑reviewed articles or official guidelines. English‑language clips scored higher on several scales that capture overall quality and trustworthiness. Yet, when the team focused only on how easy videos were to understand and how clearly they suggested next steps—a measure called “actionability”—English and Arabic content looked surprisingly similar. Longer videos tended to be more actionable, likely because they had more time to explain what patients should watch for and when to seek care. Notably, videos made by professionals, such as doctors or hospitals, were not always better than those from non‑professionals, and viewer reactions like likes and comments did not reliably track with quality.

What This Means for Patients and Creators

For someone searching YouTube about sudden right‑sided belly pain, this study sends a mixed message. On one hand, there is a large pool of videos in both English and Arabic that can help viewers recognize appendicitis and understand that prompt treatment is crucial. On the other hand, quality varies widely, and Arabic videos in particular more often rely on personal stories and unsourced claims. The authors argue that health organizations and clinicians, especially in Arabic‑speaking regions, should invest more effort in producing clear, evidence‑based videos that are also practical, telling viewers exactly when and how to seek medical help. Viewers, for their part, should not assume that a popular or highly liked video is automatically reliable, and should look for signs that information is grounded in recognized medical guidance and, whenever possible, confirm it with a healthcare professional.

Citation: Ranjous, Y., Jafar, K.S., Alrashed, E. et al. Evaluating YouTube content on appendicitis: a comparative analysis of Arabic and English videos in terms of quality. Sci Rep 16, 9480 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-40685-2

Keywords: appendicitis, YouTube health information, Arabic and English medical content, online video quality, patient education