Evaluation of YouTube Videos as a Source for Urinary Incontinence Exercises

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the accuracy, adequacy, and reliability of YouTube videos concerning urinary incontinence exercises.
Material and Methods: YouTube was searched with the keywords 'urinary incontinence exercises' and 'urinary incontinence exercise treatment'. 245 videos met the inclusion criteria and were included. These videos were evaluated by two physicians. The evaluation parameters were as follows: numerical parameters, modified DISCERN questionnaire (mDISCERN), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Benchmark Criteria, Global Quality Score (GQS). The video was also evaluated to see if the exercises were shown correctly.
Results: The majority of videos were uploaded from the USA (n=97, 39.6%), and the source was mostly from non-healthcare workers (n=99, 40.4%). Exercises were shown correctly in 154 (62.9%) videos. Videos created by doctors had significantly higher view count (p=0.015), video duration (p<0.001), number of comments (p<0.001), GQS (p=0.003), and mDISCERN score (p=0.004) compared to others. The JAMA score was higher in videos created by doctors and physiotherapists than in the others (p<0.001). The videos where the exercises were shown correctly had higher GQS (p<0.001), JAMA (p=0.010), and mDISCERN (p=0.019) scores compared to the videos where the exercises were not shown correctly.
Conclusion: The majority of the YouTube videos evaluated in this study were found to be of intermediate quality according to the GQS score, and partly sufficient according to the JAMA score. It is thought that videos explained by a doctor and showing the exercises correctly may be more beneficial for patients.

Keywords

• Information reliability
• pelvic floor exercises
• social media use
• urinary incontinence exercises
• YouTube

References

1. Drozd B, Couvillon E, Suarez A. Medical YouTube videos and methods of evaluation: literature review. JMIR Med Educ. 2018;4(1):e3. doi:10.2196/mededu.8527.
2. Yetişir A, Sarıyıldız A. Evaluation of the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on polymyalgia rheumatica. Osmangazi Journal of Medicine. 2024;46(1):110-7. doi:10.20515/otd.1372191.
3. Yetişir AE. YouTube as a source of information on Merkel cell carcinoma. Turkderm-Turk Arch Dermatol Venereol. 2023;57(3):83-6. doi:10.4274/turkderm.galenos.2023.87253.
4. Haylen BT, de Ridder D, Freeman RM, Swift SE, Berghmans B, Lee J, et al. An international urogynecological association (IUGA)/international continence society (ICS) joint report on the terminology for female pelvic floor dysfunction. Neurourol Urodyn. 2010;29(1):4-20. doi:10.1002/nau.20798.
5. Baran C, Yilmaz Baran S. YouTube videos as an information source about urinary incontinence. J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod. 2021;50(10):102197. doi:10.1016/j.jogoh.2021.102197.
6. Rodriguez-Rodriguez AM, Blanco-Diaz M, Lopez-Diaz P, de la Fuente-Costa M, Sousa-Fraguas MC, Escobio-Prieto I, et al. Quality analysis of YouTube videos presenting pelvic floor exercises after prostatectomy surgery. J Pers Med. 2021;11(9):920. doi:10.3390/jpm11090920.
7. Rodriguez-Rodriguez AM, De la Fuente-Costa M, Escalera-de la Riva M, Perez-Dominguez B, Paseiro-Ares G, Casaña J, et al. AI-Enhanced evaluation of YouTube content on post-surgical incontinence following pelvic cancer treatment. SSM Popul Health. 2024;26:101677. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2024.101677.
8. Stephen K, Cumming GP. Searching for pelvic floor muscle exercises on YouTube: what individuals may find and where this might fit with health service programmes to promote continence. Menopause Int. 2012;18(3):110-5. doi:10.1258/mi.2012.012007.

9. Charnock D, Shepperd S, Needham G, Gann R. DISCERN: an instrument for judging the quality of written consumer health information on treatment choices. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1999;53(2):105-11. doi:10.1136/jech.53.2.105.
10. Silberg WM, Lundberg GD, Musacchio RA. Assessing, controlling, and assuring the quality of medical information on the Internet: caveant lector et viewor--Let the reader and viewer beware. JAMA. 1997;277(15):1244-5.
11. Kunze KN, Cohn MR, Wakefield C, Hamati F, LaPrade RF, Forsythe B, et al. YouTube as a source of information about the posterior cruciate ligament: a content-quality and reliability analysis. Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil. 2019;1(2):e109-14. doi:10.1016/j.asmr.2019.09.003.
12. Bernard A, Langille M, Hughes S, Rose C, Leddin D, Veldhuyzen van Zanten S. A systematic review of patient inflammatory bowel disease information resources on the World Wide Web. Am J Gastroenterol. 2007;102(9):2070-7. doi:10.1111/j.1572-0241.2007.01325.x.
13. Sensoy N, Dogan N, Ozek B, Karaaslan L. Urinary incontinence in women: prevalence rates, risk factors and impact on quality of life. Pak J Med Sci. 2013;29(3):818-22. doi:10.12669/pjms.293.3404.
14. Tarhan N, Tutgun-Ünal A, Ekinci Y. Yeni kuşak hastalığı siberkondri: yeni medya çağında kuşakların siberkondri düzeyleri ile sağlık okuryazarlığı ilişkisi [New generation disease cyberchondria: relationship between cyberchondria and health literacy of generations in the new media age]. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches. 2021;17(37):4253-97. Turkish. doi:10.26466/opus.855959.
15. Kuru T, Erken HY. Evaluation of the quality and reliability of YouTube videos on rotator cuff tears. Cureus. 2020;12(2):e6852. doi:10.7759/cureus.6852.
16. Gunay NF, Cakmak S, Gelmis M, Dizdaroglu C. Bridging the gap in patient guidance: quality analysis of kegel exercise videos on YouTube. Neurourol Urodyn. 2025;44(5):1156-62. doi:10.1002/nau.70070.
17. Özkent MS, Kılınç MT. Female urinary incontinence on TikTok and YouTube: is online video content sufficient? Int Urogynecol J. 2023;34(11):2775-81. doi:10.1007/s00192-023-05607-0.
18. Salman MY, Bayar G. Evaluation of quality and reliability of YouTube videos on female urinary incontinence. J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod. 2021;50(10):102200. doi:10.1016/j.jogoh.2021.102200.
19. Yemeshev Y, Bekaryssova D, Kocyigit BF. Assessment of the quality and reliability of YouTube videos related to teleradiology in musculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases: a cross-sectional study. Rheumatol Int. 2025;45(4):74. doi:10.1007/s00296-025-05831-5.
20. Ortanca B, Sarıçimen G, Bakılan F, Armağan O, Bal C. A quality and reliability analysis of geriatric exercise videos on YouTube. Turk J Osteoporos. 2024;30(2):109-14. doi:10.4274/tod.galenos.2023.28863.
21. Shah S, Patel R, Patel N, Patel I. Low educational quality and trustworthiness of YouTube videos by physiotherapists on shoulder joint mobilization techniques: a descriptive study. J Man Manip Ther. 2022;30(6):334-41. doi:10.1080/10669817.2022.2056319.
22. Abed V, Ray M, Smathers J, Stone AV. Assessment of video quality and reliability of YouTube videos regarding meniscus tear rehabilitation. Cureus. 2023;15(3):e36299. doi:10.7759/cureus.36299.
23. Loeb S, Sengupta S, Butaney M, Macaluso Jr JN, Czarniecki SW, Robbins R, et al. Dissemination of misinformative and biased information about prostate cancer on YouTube. Eur Urol. 2019;75(4):564-7. doi:10.1016/j.eururo.2018.10.056.
24. Kahyaoğlu Süt H, Küçükkaya B. Kadınların pelvik taban kas egzersizleri bilgi ve uygulama durumları [Knowledge and practices of women pelvic floor muscle exercises]. SDÜ Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi. 2018;9(3):15-20. Turkish. doi:10.22312/sdusbed.411894.
25. Kaya İbiş B, Mutlugüneş Dönmez E, Er Güneri S. Kontinansın korunmasinda pelvik taban egzersizleri [Pelvic floor exercises in maintaining continence]. J Acad Res Nurs. 2022;8(1):45-50. Turkish. doi:10.55646/jaren.2022.82612.
26. Abu Raddaha AH, Nasr EH. Kegel exercise training program among women with urinary incontinence. Healthcare (Basel). 2022;10(12):2359. doi:10.3390/healthcare10122359.
27. Skaug KL, Engh ME, Frawley H, Bø K. Prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction, bother, and risk factors and knowledge of the pelvic floor muscles in Norwegian male and female powerlifters and olympic weightlifters. J Strength Cond Res. 2022;36(10):2800-7. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000003919.
28. Hakbilen HG, Ince S. Effect of kegel exercise-focused intervention on urinary incontinence in elderly women. J Wound Ostomy Cont Nurs. 2025;52(2):137-46. doi:10.1097/WON.0000000000001162.