Communicating Non-Medical Treatment of Diabetes through Youtube in A Medical System with Indigenous Knowledge System

Authors

  • Alexander Chima Onyebuchi Department of Advertising, Imo State University, Owerri, 460222, Nigeria
  • Emeka Williams Etumnu Department of Broadcasting, Imo State University, Owerri, 460222, Nigeria
  • Cynthia Chiamaka Onyebuchi Department of Development Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, 460222, Nigeria
  • Chukwudera D. Amadi Department of Mass Communication, Imo State University, Owerri, 460222, Nigeria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12928/commicast.v7i2.16681

Keywords:

Communicating, Diabetes, Indigenous knowledge system, Non-medical treatment, YouTube

Abstract

Existing research has largely examined diabetes burden, traditional medicine, and the reliability of online health information as separate concerns, leaving unclear how digital platforms bring competing forms of therapeutic authority into patients’ treatment decisions. This study examined how YouTube influences awareness, knowledge, and adoption of indigenous and non-medical diabetes treatments among patients aged 40 years and above attending selected Federal Medical Centres in South-East Nigeria. An explanatory mixed-methods design was adopted. Quantitative data were obtained from 340 diagnosed diabetes patients selected through simple random sampling, while qualitative data were generated through semi-structured interviews with 24 medical personnel and caregivers purposively selected across the study sites. The survey instrument was tested for internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha, and the quantitative and qualitative evidence were integrated during interpretation. More than 76% of respondents reported awareness of indigenous or non-medical diabetes treatments through YouTube, while 61.7% indicated that YouTube content had a high or very high influence on their adoption of such practices. Interview evidence further showed that healthcare professionals encountered patients whose treatment decisions were shaped by online claims, including unverified “miracle cure” narratives, raising concerns about misinformation, treatment delays, and declining confidence in professional advice. The study’s original contribution lies in connecting three areas often examined separately digital health communication, indigenous diabetes-management knowledge, and therapeutic decision-making by demonstrating how YouTube can alter the communicative environment in which biomedical and non-medical treatment claims become visible and compete for credibility. The findings imply that digital health communication should move beyond simply increasing online information and instead develop culturally responsive, professionally verified, and digitally literate communication strategies capable of engaging the treatment narratives already shaping diabetes care in Nigeria.

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Published

2026-09-14

How to Cite

Chima Onyebuchi, A., Williams Etumnu, E., Chiamaka Onyebuchi, C., & Amadi, C. D. (2026). Communicating Non-Medical Treatment of Diabetes through Youtube in A Medical System with Indigenous Knowledge System. COMMICAST, 7(2), 361–379. https://doi.org/10.12928/commicast.v7i2.16681

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2026): September

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Copyright (c) 2026 Alexander Chima Onyebuchi, Emeka Williams Etumnu, Cynthia Chiamaka Onyebuchi, Chukwudera D. Amadi

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