Public Perceptions of Pressure Ulcers: A 10-Year Analysis of YouTube Comment Sentiment and Engagement Trends

In recent years, user-generated content on social media has become a major source of health information. YouTube, with its audiovisual format and global accessibility, plays a critical role in shaping public awareness of medical issues. However, there is limited knowledge on how chronic wounds—particularly pressure ulcers—are portrayed and perceived on this platform. Pressure ulcers are serious complications in immobilized patients, contributing to prolonged hospitalizations, increased morbidity, and substantial healthcare costs. This study aimed to investigate decade-long trends in public engagement, lexical patterns, and sentiment in YouTube comments related to pressure ulcers. A retrospective analysis was conducted on videos uploaded to YouTube between 2015 and 2025 using the keywords “pressure ulcer,” “bed sore,” and “decubitus ulcer.” A total of 1,368 user comments from 161 eligible videos were extracted and processed using natural language processing. Annual trends in uploads, comment volume, and word count were analyzed. Frequent terms were identified, and sentiment was categorized as positive, neutral, or negative. Seasonal and temporal variations were assessed statistically. Public engagement increased over the decade, peaking in 2024 for video uploads and in 2025 for comments (n = 332) and total word count (n = 8,928). The most common words were “wound,” “thank,” and “good.” Positive sentiment declined from nearly 50% in 2018 to below 40% in 2024, while neutral sentiment became dominant after 2021 (56%in2025). No significant seasonal differences were found (p > 0.05). This ten-year analysis reveals a growing YouTube discourse on pressure ulcers, marked by a shift toward neutral, informational content. YouTube holds promise as a tool for public education and caregiver awareness.