title: Portrayal of smokeless tobacco in YouTube videos.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Videos of smokeless tobacco (ST) on YouTube are abundant and easily accessible, yet no studies have examined the content of ST videos. This study assesses the overall portrayal, genre, and messages of ST YouTube videos.
  
  
  METHODS
  In August 2010, researchers identified the top 20 search results on YouTube by "relevance" and "view count" for the following search terms: "ST," "chewing tobacco," "snus," and "Skoal." After eliminating videos that were not about ST (n = 26), non-English (n = 14), or duplicate (n = 42), a final sample of 78 unique videos was coded for overall portrayal, genre, and various content measures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 78 unique videos, 15.4% were anti-ST, while 74.4% were pro-ST. Researchers were unable to determine the portrayal of ST in the remaining 10.3% of videos because they involved excessive or "sensationalized" use of the ST, which could be interpreted either positively or negatively, depending on the viewer. The most common ST genre was positive video diaries (or "vlogs"), which made up almost one third of the videos (29.5%), followed by promotional advertisements (20.5%) and anti-ST public service announcements (12.8%). While YouTube is intended for user-generated content, 23.1% of the videos were created by professional organizations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results demonstrate that ST videos on YouTube are overwhelmingly pro-ST. More research is needed to determine who is viewing these ST YouTube videos and how they may affect people's knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding ST use.
authors.affiliation: Tobacco Control Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, 6130 Executive Blvd., EPN 4047, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. brombergje@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bromberg
authors.forename: Erik M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Augustson
authors.forename: Cathy L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Backinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D061108:Social Media / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless; D014741:Video Recording
references.citation: J Health Commun. 2002 Jul-Sep;7(4):273-307
references.pmid: 12356288
references.citation: Lancet. 2003 Jul 26;362(9380):281-5
references.pmid: 12892958
references.citation: Health Commun. 2010 Mar;25(2):97-106
references.pmid: 20390676
references.citation: Tob Control. 2010 Oct;19(5):361-6
references.pmid: 20739706
references.citation: J Epidemiol Community Health. 2008 Sep;62(9):778-82
references.pmid: 18701726
references.citation: Tob Control. 2007 Jun;16(3):207-10
references.pmid: 17565142
references.citation: Tob Control. 2011 Mar;20(2):119-22
references.pmid: 20966132
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 2007 Nov;33(5):396-403
references.pmid: 17950405
references.citation: Arch Dermatol. 2008 Oct;144(10):1395-6
references.pmid: 18936411
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2009 Apr;123(4):e551-8
references.pmid: 19336346
references.citation: Nicotine Tob Res. 2010 Aug;12(8):810-6
references.pmid: 20634267
references.citation: Tob Control. 2003 Jun;12 Suppl 1:i48-59
references.pmid: 12773785
references.citation: Am J Public Health. 2010 Jan;100(1):78-87
references.pmid: 19910355
references.citation: Am J Prev Med. 2008 Oct;35(4):389-92
references.pmid: 18675530
references.citation: JAMA. 2007 Dec 5;298(21):2482-4
references.pmid: 18056901
references.citation: Pediatrics. 2005 Nov;116(5):1183-91
references.pmid: 16264007
references.citation: Tob Control. 2009 Feb;18(1):54-9
references.pmid: 18948390
references.citation: Tob Control. 2010 Dec;19(6):512-3
references.pmid: 20930059
references.citation: IARC Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum. 2007;89:1-592
references.pmid: 18335640