Quality of internet videos related to exercise therapy of ankylosing spondylitis from mainland China: Content analysis

Objective The aim of this study is to assess the quality and reliability of online videos on ankylosing spondylitis (AS) exercises from the five most popular video websites in China. Design Cross-sectional and descriptive study. Methods We searched the video websites of Youku, Tencent, Tudou, IQiYi, and bilibili on February 15, 2020, using the keywords “Ankylosing spondylitis exercise” “Ankylosing spondylitis rehabilitation” and “Ankylosing spondylitis therapy” A total of 114 videos were included in the study and evaluated according to the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and modified DISCERN tool. Results According to the GQS, the videos were classified as high quality (12.3%, n = 14), intermediate quality (63.2%, n = 72), and low quality (24.6%, n = 28). Using the modified DISCERN tool, the videos were divided into useless (53.5%, n = 61), useful (35.1%, n = 40), and misleading (11.4%, n = 13). Conclusion The analysis shows that the quality and reliability of online videos related to exercise therapy for Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) should be improved and supervised in China. Hospitals, universities, and medical doctors should make more useful and high-quality videos to provide effective exercise guidance for AS patients.