When men with prostrate cancer search the internet for physical activity information what do they find?

Abstract

This research investigated the types of websites Australian men with prostate cancer were likely to find when searching the Internet for information on physical activity (PA) and whether these websites were designed in a manner to promote behaviour change leading to participation in regular PA. An online questionnaire was created to identify words/phrases men with prostate cancer used to search the Internet for information on PA. Identified searches were undertaken by the researcher and subsequent websites located. Using empirical literature and findings of the online survey an Internet quality assessment tool was developed to measure the quality of websites in relation to: 1) design; 2) credibility and accountability; 3) participation; 4) usability; 5) relevance; 6) accuracy, and; 7) use of behaviour change techniques. The tool was used to measure the quality of 56 websites, resulting in websites receiving a quality grading of gold, silver or bronze. The research concluded none of the websites obtained gold standard. This study supports previous literature with concerns about the credibility and accountability of information provided on health promotion websites. Few websites provided practical guidance on ways to change behaviour to encourage regular PA. This research identifies men’s Internet search behaviour, provides details of quality websites which can be used by health professionals to communicate the best quality PA websites to patients. The research can be used by health care professionals, health researchers and web designers to facilitate the development of gold standard websites.