Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2020 Jan;53(1):128-132.
doi: 10.1002/eat.23173. Epub 2019 Oct 7.

Readability and quality of online eating disorder information-Are they sufficient? A systematic review evaluating websites on anorexia nervosa using DISCERN and Flesch Readability

Hanne Arts  1 , Henna Lemetyinen  2   3 , Dawn Edge  2   3
Affiliations

Readability and quality of online eating disorder information-Are they sufficient? A systematic review evaluating websites on anorexia nervosa using DISCERN and Flesch Readability

Hanne Arts et al. Int J Eat Disord. 2020 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: Evaluate the quality and readability of United Kingdom-based websites on anorexia nervosa.

Method: First-page search results of three search engines (with search term "anorexia nervosa") were consulted. Websites were excluded if they were pro-ana, duplications, advertisements, Wikipedia, nonwritten/video, invalid addresses, non-English, book links, articles/news pages, and discussion forums. Fifteen websites were evaluated on information quality using DISCERN, and on readability using the Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) Scale. Spearman's correlations between quality and readability were calculated.

Results: DISCERN-scores ranged from 34 to 71 (M = 49.27, SD = 9.16), representing "fair" information quality. FRE-scores ranged from 28 to 64 (M = 42.7, SD = 13.43), representing "difficult" readability. The Royal College of Psychiatrists website (https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/) received the only "excellent" quality rating and was the only website that met the recommended reading level. The other websites' quality varied, and their reading levels ranged from fairly to very difficult.

Conclusion: Website quality scores varied. Oftentimes, information about treatment risks and benefits was lacking, and texts were too complex. Website quality seals could prove beneficial, and web developers should use quality and readability measures to ensure information accessibility. Future research should utilize DISCERN and FRE to evaluate quality and readability of websites pertaining to other eating disorders too. Video abstract: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9DKS7qISSA&feature=youtu.be.

Keywords: anorexia; anorexia nervosa; comprehension; consumer health information; feeding and eating disorders; health literacy; information dissemination; internet.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Ali, K., Farrer, L., Fassnacht, D. B., Gulliver, A., Bauer, S., & Griffiths, K. M. (2017). Perceived barriers and facilitators towards help-seeking for eating disorders: A systematic review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50(1), 9-21. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22598
    1. Bhadoria, R., Webb, K., & Morgan, J. F. (2010). Treating eating disorders: A review of the evidence. Evidence-Based Mental Health, 13, 1-4.
    1. Charnock, D. (1998). The DISCERN handbook. Oxon, UK: Radcliffe Medical Press.
    1. Charnock, D., Shepperd, S., Needham, G., & Gann, R. (1999). DISCERN: An instrument for judging the quality of written consumer health information on treatment choices. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 53(2), 105-111. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.53.2.105
    1. Cheng, C., & Dunn, M. (2015). Health literacy and the Internet: A study on the readability of Australian online health information. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 39(4), 309-314. https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12341

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources