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Examining the quality of smoking cessation interventions available through the internet Murphy, Caroline Cathrine
Abstract
Background: The Internet promises to be an effective vehicle for widespread delivery of Web-assisted tobacco use cessation interventions. Little is known regarding the quality of information available or the usefulness of search tools, such as gateways, in enabling consumers access to accurate and credible cessation information. The purpose of the study was to describe the quality of online tobacco use cessation information available through the World Wide Web (WWW), to compare content of websites retrieved through different search tools, and determine the relationship between standard criteria and evidence-based criteria for smoking cessation interventions available through the Internet. Methods: Web sites purporting to provide self-help smoking cessation information were identified using three search tools; 1) search engine (google.com), 2) private gateway (allhealthnet.com), and 3) public gateway (canadian-health-network.ca, healthfinder.gov). Two independent reviewers rated sites using a 34-item checklist, designed to measure the presence of standard criteria for health information and evidence-based information for treating tobacco use; web site scores were calculated to judge quality of information and conduct analyses. A l l sites were selected and reviewed between February and April, 2004. Results: 120 sites were evaluated; the mean total quality score was 0.57 (range = 0.09 to 0.92). Mean total scores differed significantly between search tools (p = 0.02); post-hoc comparisons (Bonferonni correction) did not detect a difference in total quality scores between the three search tools. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that evidence-based score was a significant (p < 0.1) predictor of standard score, with a coefficient of determination of 0.26. Discussion: The type and content of tobacco use cessation information available is extremely variable, and is not dependent on the search tool used to access the web site. Findings question the utility and effectiveness of standard criteria to measure informational content, and highlight the importance of research into the effectiveness of Web-assisted tobacco use cessation interventions, and developing policies to guide consumers to useful information.
Item Metadata
Title |
Examining the quality of smoking cessation interventions available through the internet
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2005
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Description |
Background: The Internet promises to be an effective vehicle for widespread delivery
of Web-assisted tobacco use cessation interventions. Little is known regarding the quality of
information available or the usefulness of search tools, such as gateways, in enabling
consumers access to accurate and credible cessation information. The purpose of the study was
to describe the quality of online tobacco use cessation information available through the
World Wide Web (WWW), to compare content of websites retrieved through different search
tools, and determine the relationship between standard criteria and evidence-based criteria for
smoking cessation interventions available through the Internet.
Methods: Web sites purporting to provide self-help smoking cessation information
were identified using three search tools; 1) search engine (google.com), 2) private gateway
(allhealthnet.com), and 3) public gateway (canadian-health-network.ca, healthfinder.gov).
Two independent reviewers rated sites using a 34-item checklist, designed to measure the
presence of standard criteria for health information and evidence-based information for
treating tobacco use; web site scores were calculated to judge quality of information and
conduct analyses. A l l sites were selected and reviewed between February and April, 2004.
Results: 120 sites were evaluated; the mean total quality score was 0.57 (range = 0.09
to 0.92). Mean total scores differed significantly between search tools (p = 0.02); post-hoc
comparisons (Bonferonni correction) did not detect a difference in total quality scores between
the three search tools. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that evidence-based score was
a significant (p < 0.1) predictor of standard score, with a coefficient of determination of 0.26.
Discussion: The type and content of tobacco use cessation information available is
extremely variable, and is not dependent on the search tool used to access the web site. Findings question the utility and effectiveness of standard criteria to measure informational
content, and highlight the importance of research into the effectiveness of Web-assisted
tobacco use cessation interventions, and developing policies to guide consumers to useful
information.
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Genre | |
Type | |
Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-12-23
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0092415
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2005-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.