Quality of online mastitis management information for dairy farmers in India: an evaluation of Hindi language YouTube videos

Abstract YouTube has become a primary informal extension channel for livestock health information in India, yet quality is unregulated and algorithmically driven by popularity rather than accuracy. This study systematically evaluates the quality of Hindi language YouTube videos on Mastitis which is one of the most economically significant dairy diseases in India, using four validated instruments modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), JAMA benchmark criteria, Global Quality Scale (GQS), and a purpose-built Mastitis Video Content Scoring (MVCS) tool. We searched YouTube using the YouTube Data API v3 with four Hindi language queries on 6 March 2026, screened 200 videos, and analysed 63 that met inclusion criteria. Most videos were low quality: mean GQS was 1.98/5, mean JAMA was 1.21/4 and mean mDISCERN was 1.96/5. Independent creators produced 52% of videos and achieved the highest audience reach (Video Power Index: 2.32), yet scored lowest on clinical comprehensiveness. Veterinary professionals produced fewer videos but achieved the highest quality scores and engagement ratios (4.26), suggesting trust driven rather than algorithm driven audiences. A weak positive correlation between video duration and MVCS (r = 0.265, p = 0.036) indicates that longer run time is not a prerequisite for comprehensive content. These findings reveal a critical popularity-quality gap in digital veterinary extension and highlight the need to build digital communication capacity among field-level veterinarians.