Gauging the impact of a community health website: The challenge of evaluating health outcomes associated with online health communication and support

Background: The Internet has potential as a vehicle for health communication and support, although it is often difficult to gauge its impact on health outcomes. Researchers and community members created a community, health-focused website with social networking capabilities aimed at increasing health knowledge and participation in healthy behaviors, thus leading to decreased risk for chronic disease. Objective/purpose: Our objective was to assess the website's ability to reinforce user capacity to enhance personal health through improved knowledge and increased intent and ability to take action on health conditions related to nutrition and exercise. Methods: Researchers employed a pre-post survey design to measure use of the website and assess changes in knowledge, attitude and behavioral intent after exposure to the site. Adult volunteers enrolled through in-person community recruitment completed an initial baseline survey, received a virtual “tour” as an introduction to the site, and completed a follow up survey three to six months after the initial survey. Results: A total of 146 participants completed both initial and follow-up surveys. Of those who visited the site, 92% reported that it was very or somewhat easy to find health information. Further, 96% and 92% reported that they understood and trusted, respectively, all or some of the information they found, and 73% rated the website as excellent or very good. However, there was no significant change found in knowledge, attitudes or behavioral intent after exposure to the site. Discussion/conclusions: With social networking aspects combined with validated and trusted sources of health information, the community website has potential to exist as a dynamic environment capable of bridging the complex interplay between health and the multiple levels of the individual, community and society. However, further research is necessary to more fully describe the site's ability to affect short-term and longer-term outcomes.