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Who is referring teens to health information on the web?: hyperlinks between blogs and health web sites for teens

This study analyzes the hyperlinks leading to six teen health web sites from a specific form of social media -- blogs - in order to discover who is referring teens to reliable health information. This was done by gathering inlink data using Google Webmaster Tools and then classifying inlink sources by type of creator. The study found that the teen health web sites in this study had a weak level of referrals from health-related groups compared to other organizations such as schools, and public libraries. With regard to blogs, we saw that personal blogs out-numbered blogs in any other category. We saw little evidence of blogs -- either personal or official -- created by health care professionals, a group which might be expected to actively refer teens to reliable health information. The weak network of inlinks leading from reliable health care providers is a lost opportunity for health care professionals to reach young people. Due to the weak network of inlinks from reliable health information sources, teens may not be accessing accurate and reliable health information. This could have a potential cost in terms of health outcomes. The results of this study present a snap shot rather than all-inclusive view of the visibility of teen health web sites and offer a starting point for further investigation.