Abstract
Background: Misinformation on interactive Knowledge Exchange Social Websites (KESWs) is concerning since it can influence Internet users’ health behaviors, especially during an infectious disease outbreak. Objective: The present study seeks to examine the accuracy and characteristics of health information posted to a Knowledge Exchange Social Website (KESW). Methods: A sample of 204 answers to Ebola questions were extracted and rated for accuracy. Multiple logistic regression modeling was used to examine whether answer characteristics (best answer, professional background, statistical information, source disclosed, link, and word count) predicted accuracy. Results: Overall, only 27.0% of the posted answers were rated as “accurate”. Accuracy varied across question topics with between 11.8% - 45.5% of answers being rated as accurate. When Yahoo Answers’ “best answers” were examined, the overall accuracy was substantially higher, with 80.0% of “best answers” being rated as accurate compared to 16.0% of all other answers. Conclusion: There is need for tools to help Internet users navigate health information posted on these dynamic user-generated knowledge exchange social websites.
Highlights
The current study focuses on Ebola virus disease (EVD), as the response to the 2014 outbreak in West Africa was impacted by the presence of misinformation and highlighted the effects of such information on outbreak containment, support of proper quarantine procedures, and social stigmatization of patients [35] [36]
A total of seven themes were identified during the thematic analysis of types of Ebola questions posted to Yahoo Answers
The accuracy of Ebola information posted to Yahoo Answers was quite low, with less than half of all answers providing fully accurate information
Summary
Despite the popularity of online health resources, past research has shown that both the quality [4] [5] and readability level [4] of health-related websites varies widely, with incomplete information and inaccuracies compromising the information available to readers [6]. Objective: The present study seeks to examine the accuracy and characteristics of health information posted to a Knowledge Exchange Social Website (KESW). When Yahoo Answers’ “best answers” were examined, the overall accuracy was substantially higher, with 80.0% of “best answers” being rated as accurate compared to 16.0% of all other answers. Conclusion: There is need for tools to help Internet users navigate health information posted on these dynamic user-generated knowledge exchange social websites
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