Nazlıcan Uçar YAMAN, Humeysa Kiyak-Kirmaci
İstanbul Journal of Pharmacy - 2025;55(3):480-485
Background and Aims: The Internet is one of the most commonly used sources for health-related information. However, low health literacy and the complexity of online content can hinder individuals' understanding and acceptance of the influenza vaccine. This study aimed to evaluate the readability and quality of the information on influenza vaccine-related on Turkish websites. Methods: Forty-nine websites were included in this cross-sectional study, which was conducted in October 2024. These websites were evaluated according to readability (Ateşman and Bezirci-Yılmaz readability formulas), quality (HONcode and DISCERN scores), and the academic affiliation of the website founders and their origin. Results: The majority of the 49 websites (77.6%) belonged to hospitals or official organisations. The mean of the quality score of the sites according to the HONcode criteria is 5.51+/-1.81, while according to DISCERN it is 47.85+/-8.88. Accordingly, the Ateşman readability level of information about the influenza vaccine was found to be at the 11th-12th grade education level and the Bezirci-Yılmaz readability level was found to be at the undergraduate level. No significant difference was found between the groups in terms of readability or quality of content in the classifications made according to the origin or academic affiliation (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The readability and quality of Turkish websites need to be improved to determine the needs of people with poor literacy skills regarding influenza vaccination and to meet these needs.
