Analyzing the Quality and Reliability of Pilates Content on YouTube: Insights and Implications for Viewers and Practitioners

Aim: This study aims to evaluate the quality and reliability of Pilates videos available on YouTube. Method: A search was conducted on YouTube using the keyword "Pilates". The top 100 videos, ranked by view count from highest to lowest, were analysed. The scientific reliability and quality of the videos were assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS), modified DISCERN, and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) criteria. Video popularity was evaluated using the View Ratio (views per day since upload). Results: Among the analysed videos, the median GQS score was 3 (IQR: 2–3), the modified DISCERN score was 3 (IQR: 2–3), and the JAMA score was 3 (IQR: 2–4). Based on the GQS, 42% of the videos were classified as low quality, 42% as moderate quality, and 16% as high quality. Recording location was associated with View Ratio (p < 0.05). Post-hoc comparisons showed that videos recorded inside the home had higher View Ratios than studio-recorded videos (p < 0.05), while videos recorded outside the home had higher View Ratios than those recorded in nature (p < 0.05) and in studios (p < 0.05). View Ratio was not significantly associated with GQS, modified DISCERN, or JAMA scores (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: Quality among the most-viewed Pilates videos was heterogeneous, and online popularity did not correspond to the measured quality and reliability scores. Viewers should therefore avoid using popularity metrics alone as indicators of information quality, while content source characteristics may be associated with differences in measured quality and reliability.