Analysis of Contents of nutrition information on the Internet

Ly, Sun Yung; Kang, Hae Kyung; Yang, Il Sun; Kang, Myung Hee

Abstract

232 internet sites in Yahoo and Empas were monitored to analyze what good contents of nutrition information on line have for the internet searchers. As the sites on line were disappeared frequently, all the monitored sites were selected on April 25, 2003. 3 disciplined personnels analyzed the contents of the selected sites by using self-developed monitoring format. The results are as follows. Most of sites were administered by the marketing companies and only 8% by public institutions, associations and school. Especially, most of the contents of the sites by marketing companies were advertisement about their goods instead of nutrition information. Only 42.6% of sites indicated the sources of nutrition information. Only 10.3% of site administrators responded about on-line questions quickly within 1 day. Moreover, 46% of sites were not conformed their answering periods. On the other hand, 94.8% of sites offered more than 1 feedback methods. Monitors checked purposes offering on-line informations plurally. Leading purpose was for advertising and marketing their goods(59.5%) and 47% of them were opened for offering food and nutrition information. They offered various informations at the same time. More than half of the sites had the menus for food and nutrition information and connected sites, but the other half of them only advertised their own goods. Positive sides from monitored informations were as follows : 'communicating informations easily' (8.7%) / 'definite informations for daily living' (7.2%) / 'beneficial informations for nutritional management' (4.6%) / 'new informations' (2.1%). Negative sides of offered information were 'not enough to give scientific basis and/or to simplify special evidences too much'(60.8%) / 'to exaggerate the contents' (41.4%) / 'not to indicate the notice of side effect and/or to advertise that there are not side effect from using their goods' (34.1%).