Did online publishers \u201cget it right\u201d? Using a naturalistic search strategy to review cognitive health promotion content on internet webpages

P.V Hunter,F Fick,A Cammer,M E O’Connell,J X Seaton,T Friedrich,M Delbaere

doi:10.1186/s12877-017-0515-3

Abstract

BackgroundOne of the most common uses of the Internet is to search for health-related information. Although scientific evidence pertaining to cognitive health promotion has expanded rapidly in recent years, it is unclear how much of this information has been made available to Internet users. Thus, the purpose of our study was to assess the reliability and quality of information about cognitive health promotion encountered by typical Internet users.MethodsTo generate a list of relevant search terms employed by Internet users, we entered seed search terms in Google Trends and recorded any terms consistently used in the prior 2 years. To further approximate the behaviour of typical Internet users, we entered each term in Google and sampled the first two relevant results. This search, completed in October 2014, resulted in a sample of 86 webpages, 48 of which had content related to cognitive health promotion. An interdisciplinary team rated the information reliability and quality of these webpages using a standardized measure.ResultsWe found that information reliability and quality were moderate, on average. Just one retrieved page mentioned best practice, national recommendations, or consensus guidelines by name. Commercial content (i.e., product promotion, advertising content, or non-commercial) was associated with differences in reliability and quality, with product promoter webpages having the lowest mean reliability and quality ratings.ConclusionsAs efforts to communicate the association between lifestyle and cognitive health continue to expand, we offer these results as a baseline assessment of the reliability and quality of cognitive health promotion on the Internet.

Highlights

One of the most common uses of the Internet is to search for health-related information
Despite a more significant media focus on cognitive health promotion in recent years, surveys of the North American public suggest that misperceptions about the role of lifestyle in cognitive health continue
These terms served as seeds to generate a more comprehensive list of search terms currently used by laypeople in North American Internet searches

Summary

Introduction

One of the most common uses of the Internet is to search for health-related information. Scientific evidence pertaining to cognitive health promotion has expanded rapidly in recent years, it is unclear how much of this information has been made available to Internet users. Epidemiological research suggests that among the most promising behavioural choices to support cognitive health include: managing cardiovascular risk factors; engaging in educational or other mentally stimulating activities; being physically active; developing social supports; using alcohol in moderation; avoiding use of tobacco; and eating a nourishing diet such as a Mediterranean diet [1, 2]. Despite a more significant media focus on cognitive health promotion in recent years, surveys of the North American public suggest that misperceptions about the role of lifestyle in cognitive health continue. As the increasing prevalence of dementia continues to place pressure on health care and social systems, [14] gaps in public knowledge about strategies to promote cognitive health are concerning

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