Content and Quality Analysis of YouTube Videos on Therapeutic Exercises for Parkinson’s Disease

Abstract

Background Parkinson's disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder, and patients increasingly use YouTube to obtain health-related information. Objective This study aimed to assess the content quality and informational reliability of YouTube videos on PD exercises. Methods A total of 150 English-language YouTube videos were screened using the search terms Parkinson exercises, Parkinson physiotherapy exercises, and Parkinson home exercise program. For each video, the source, upload date, number of views, likes, dislikes, and comments were recorded. The Video Power Index (VPI) was assessed using the view ratio (views/day) and like ratio (likes & times; 100 / [likes + dislikes]). The clinical quality, reliability, and educational value of PD-specific exercise videos were assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), and guideline-based criteria derived from the European Physiotherapy Guideline for Parkinson's Disease (PD-GEC).Results A total of 29 videos met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Videos explaining how and why exercises were performed demonstrated higher mDiscern and GQS scores, while providing repetition, duration, and intensity information was associated with higher GQS scores but not mDiscern (p = 0.080); no differences were observed for disease specificity, functional linkage, or safety warnings (all p > 0.05). PD-GEC scores were not significantly related to video engagement metrics. Conclusion Higher-quality videos tended to provide clear explanations of exercise rationale and dosage, while guideline-based clinical features, including PD-GEC criteria, were not associated with viewer engagement.