Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Your Health and Wellness 29 Refer to the information in Figure 1.16 to learn more about evaluating health websites. When evaluating health information, including health claims about health products, ask yourself the following questions. Answering these questions can help you determine if the information is scientifically accurate: • Is the source of the information reliable? • Is the information current? • Is the information relevant to my life stage and situation? • Is the source making money or promoting a cause by publishing the story or article? • Does the article refer to research published by medical scientists? • Does the article give the names of the researchers and the journal that published the original research? • Can you find other reliable sources with the same information? Communicating Health Information Once you have reliable health information, you can advocate for, or support, the health of your family and community by sharing it with others. Does the URL end in .gov, .edu, or .org? Websites with URLs ending in .net or .com are less likely to contain reliable, health-related information. If there is an author, is the author an expert in the field? You can usually find the author’s name at the top of an article. To determine if the author is an expert, note the author’s credentials and degrees and research the author’s other work online. What is the sponsor’s goal in creating the website? Some websites contain mission statements that outline the goal of the information presented. Do all links lead to active websites? Broken links (links to content that has been removed) indicate that information is outdated or unreliable. Does the website or article cite the sources for all statistics, data, and health claims? When was the website created and last updated? A website’s header or footer should list its publication and update dates. Are advertisements on the website clearly identified? If it is easy to confuse the content on the website with advertisements, this indicates the information might be biased. Is the sponsor of the website a respectable, credible organization or individual? A website’s header or footer should list the organization or individual sponsoring the site. Figure 1.16 These tips can help you access valid information online.