Background The Web is an important source of health information, but the quality of such online information is highly variable. This study evaluates the quality of health articles published on Naver News, Korea’s most popular portal, using the Health Information Quality Assessment Tool (HIQUAL).
Methods We collected 712 health-related articles published on Naver News from May 1 to 7, 2023. After applying exclusion criteria, we selected 116 articles for analysis. Two clinicians independently assessed the quality of these articles using the HIQUAL, which scores articles based on five domains: “reliability,” “usefulness,” “understandability,” “sufficiency,” and “transparency.”
Results Overall article quality was generally considered recommendable (mean±standard deviation: 7.52±2.00). “Usefulness,” one item of “reliability,” and “understandability” were the three items with the highest levels of satisfaction. “Sufficiency” criteria for costs, risks, and benefits received low scores. Quality scores for articles focused on health risk factors and intervention showed a statistically significant difference.
Conclusion While the overall quality of health information in Korean online newspaper articles is acceptable, room for improvement remains in some areas, particularly with regard to the fair presentation of costs, risks, and benefits. The study highlights the need for ongoing quality improvement and evaluation initiatives for online health information.
Background Studies have shown the health literacy effects on the general state of health and its related factors, as well as health outcomes, physical and mental health, and health-related quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the effect of training based on health literacy through social networking strategies to promote health-related quality of life among students of Islamic Azad University, Shahr Rey Branch, Iran.
Methods This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 120 students with poor or average quality of life score. Participants were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (60 participants each). Health literacy and quality of life data were collected at baseline, immediately after, and 3 months after intervention. The educational intervention was conducted online using social networking services. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
Results The results showed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of health literacy and quality of life at baseline (P=0.979 and 0.269, respectively). The mean score of health literacy and quality of life in the experimental group, compared with the control group, significantly increased immediately after and 3 months after the intervention (P<0.001).
Conclusion The educational intervention administered by applying health literacy strategies online, through social networking services, can be effective in improving the quality of life of students.
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