Assessment of the quality and content of website health information about herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms

作者：Sowter Julie^*; Astin Felicity; Dye Louise; Marshall Paul; Knapp Peter

来源：Maturitas, 2016, 88: 16-22.

DOI：10.1016/j.maturitas.2016.02.016

• Menopause
• World Wide Web
• Internet
• Health information
• Herbal remedies

Objective: To assess the quality, readability and coverage of website information about herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms.
Study design: A purposive sample of commercial and non-commercial websites was assessed for quality (DISCERN), readability (SMOG) and information coverage.
Main outcome measures: Non-parametric and parametric tests were used to explain the variability of these factors across types of websites and to assess associations between website quality and information coverage.
Results: 39 sites were assessed. Median quality and information coverage scores were 44/80 and 11/30 respectively. The median readability score was 18.7, similar to UK broadsheets. Commercial websites scored significantly lower on quality (p = 0.014), but there were no statistical differences for information coverage or readability. There was a significant positive correlation between information quality and coverage scores irrespective of website provider (r = 0.69, p < 0.001, n =39).
Conclusion: Overall website quality and information coverage are poor and the required reading level high.

• 出版日期2016-6