A qualitative study of Canadian Aboriginal women’s beliefs about “credible” cancer information on the internet

Background. Criteria for evaluating the quality of cancer information on the Internet include source credibility and accuracy and currency of content. Cultural relevance of cancer resources is often overlooked in assessments of quality of Internet Web sites.Methods. Interviews with senior Aboriginal women (n=25) were conducted in Ontario Canada to determine their beliefs about “high quality” and “credible” cancer prevention resources.Results. Participants did not regard online cancer information from the medical community to be completely credible. They recommended that cancer resources include contact information for traditional healers in addition to local cancer agencies.Conclusions. Cultural appropriateness of cancer information should be assessed. Web resources considered credible according to published criteria may not be as relevant for Aboriginal populations.

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