From Information to Apomediation: Interactions, Themes, and Feelings about Low Back Pain on YouTube

Abstract

YouTube is reshaping information mediation on lumbar pain by facilitating the transition from scientific and institutional sources to decentralized knowledge models. Through channels with millions of views, users engage in interactions that foster engagement, behavioral change, and apomediation, albeit with potential risks of misinformation. This study examines user interactions in YouTube videos on lumbar pain to identify predominant themes and sentiments, uncover underlying apomediary dynamics, and assess their role in the transition from information to apomediation. A descriptive-evaluative study was conducted, analyzing a corpus of 30,720 comments from 100 videos using statistical text analysis techniques to detect latent sentiments and apomediary patterns. The findings indicate that YouTube users actively contribute to knowledge construction, reshaping information through individual and collective experiences. Emotions play a crucial role in validation and the formation of support networks, where gratitude strengthens resilience and fear prompts critical reflection. The study concludes that the transition from information to apomediation is reinforced through interaction, reinterpretation, and emotional validation, fostering support networks for learning and coping with lumbar pain.