This study aimed to assess both the content and quality of YouTube videos serving as a source of information regarding exercise programs for older people with sarcopenia.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study, a YouTube search with “sarcopenia rehabilitation”, “sarcopenia exercises” “sarcopenia therapy” was performed and the first 200 videos were listed according to relevancy. Video features (number of likes, views, length of video) and source of upload were recorded. Videos on YouTube were assessed using Global Quality Scale (GQS) and categorized into 3 groups: high-, intermediate-, and low-quality. Modified DISCERN (mDISCERN) tool was used to evaluate the content of the YouTube videos. A comprehensive review of exercise videos was provided using a Likert scale (1; poor −5; excellent) for quality, focusing on exercise-safety, exercise-effectiveness, exercise-accessibility, exercise-progression and adaptability, exercise-demonstration quality.
Results:
A total of 122 videos were analyzed. Vides not including any exercises content were excluded. Of the 18 videos evaluated, according to the GQS, 38.9% (n = 7) were of high quality, 38.9% (n = 7) were of intermediate quality, and 22.2% (n = 4) were of low quality, respectively. Positive correlations were found between the GQS and mDISCERN scores (r = 0.84; P .05).
Conclusion:
The present study reveals varying quality levels in YouTube videos on sarcopenia exercises, emphasizing the need for improved content standards to better support older individuals in managing sarcopenia.