Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Exercise: Evaluation of YouTube Videos

Objectives: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disorder in the reproductive female population. These young patients often and easily watch YouTube videos on the Internet to learn about their condition and find a natural solution. Our goal is to analyze the contents of PCOS exercise videos. Methods: In July 2022, research data were collected by typing the term "PCOS exercise" in the search tab on the incognito YouTube page. One hundred and ninety eight videos that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed in detail. The basic data of the videos available on YouTube was recorded. In addition, the DISCERN, global quality score (GQS), and video power index (VPI) scoring systems were calculated by two independent researchers. Results: The profiles of the video uploaders were: health employee 28 (14.1%), nutritionist 25 (12.6%), sports trainer 48 (24.2%), patient 21 (10.6%), undefined 76 (38.4%), and their countries were: India 91 (46%), Europe and England 36 (18.2%), USA and Canada 54 (27.3%), and other countries 17 (8.6%). The distribution of video content was yoga 58 (29.3%), aerobic exercise 38 (19.2%), strengthening exercise 44 (22.2%), and unified 58 (29.3%). The mean values were: video duration (15.27±11.27), total views (3,070,957±16,474,197), likes (48,116±283,308), dislikes (930±4102), VPI (97.82±7.28), GQS (3.89±1.05), DISCERN (33.62±10.42), subscriber counts (985,614±2,222,354), and comment counts (1741±10,689). Europe-England and America-Canada videos were of better quality for DISCERN and GQS scores than those from other countries. Conclusion: Overcoming PCOS requires a lifestyle change, including exercise and diet. There is no consensus on which type of exercise is better yet. However, the necessity of regular exercise is known. We showed yoga and Indian hegemony in YouTube "PCOS exercise" videos.