Expats and UAE residents watch health related videos; doctors warn of dangers

DUBAI: Reports said 40 percent of YouTube users in the UAE watch health related videos. This may lead to taking health-related decisions without consulting a medical professional, the report said. The users include UAE residents and foreigners. This is clarified in a study shared by researchers at Khalifa University. This study was also published on the website of the UAE Ministry of Health.

The study surveyed a total of 3000 YouTube users. The results revealed that 87 percent of them watch health related contents. The survey found that most of them watch videos related to body building. Most of the people consult health experts only after watching YouTube if they see any disease symptoms in their body.

Jill Dayley, a 53-year-old resident of Dubai, says, 'If there are symptoms, will first watch the related video. Only after that a decision will be taken on whether to consult a medical professional. Mia Nixon, 25, shared a similar experience. Mia said that she mostly relies on YouTube for her health-related queries. She said that searching about it on YouTube gives clear information.

Research has confirmed the notion that more people in the UAE seek medical advice from YouTube than seek professional advice from doctors. However, health experts warn that it can cause some harm to a certain extent. Medical professionals are firm that it is always safer to seek the advice of highly trained health professionals than to rely on online information.