Public Interest and Quality of Highly Viewed YouTube Videos on UTI Supplements

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most prevalent infections. Dietary supplements with herbal ingredients have gained popularity as alternative or adjunctive therapies. However, the quality of online information regarding these supplements remains uncertain. Materials and Methods: Amazon’s Best-Sellers Rank was used to identify the most purchased UTI dietary supplements. After selecting the 5 most common ingredients from these supplements, their Google search interest was assessed on Google Trends. The quality of YouTube videos regarding the use of the selected ingredients for UTI prevention was evaluated using DISCERN and mDISCERN questionnaires, JAMA benchmark criteria, and Global Quality Score (GQS). Results: Cranberry, D-mannose, probiotics, hibiscus, and Uva ursi were the most popular ingredients on Amazon that were selected for further analysis. Cranberry, D-mannose, and probiotics all had considerable search interest on Google Trends. While videos on the use of these ingredients for UTIs demonstrated high view counts, average quality measures across all 4 criteria were low. Conclusions: YouTube videos on UTI supplements are widely accessed but often unreliable. Our study suggests that the availability and online visibility of evidence-based educational resources may help support informed decision-making among individuals seeking nonantibiotic approaches to UTI prevention.