Quality, Readability, and Trends for Websites on Ankyloglossia
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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Websites on tongue tie (ankyloglossia) are generally good quality but hard to read. Public searches for tongue tie information are increasing, though research articles are decreasing.
Area Of Science
- Health Sciences
- Medical Informatics
- Public Health
Background
- Ankyloglossia, commonly known as tongue tie, affects infant feeding and speech.
- Online resources are a primary source of health information for parents.
- Assessing the quality and readability of this information is crucial for public health.
Purpose Of The Study
- To evaluate the quality and readability of online information regarding ankyloglossia, tongue tie, and frenulectomy.
- To analyze search trends and publication frequency for ankyloglossia-related terms.
Main Methods
- Searched Google using six relevant terms for ankyloglossia and tongue tie.
- Assessed website quality using the DISCERN instrument.
- Evaluated readability using Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Flesch Reading Ease, and Fry formulas.
- Analyzed search frequency via Google Trends and publication data from NCBI.
Main Results
- Websites generally scored well on quality (average DISCERN score: 65.7/80).
- Readability was challenging, with a mean Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of 11.6; only 10% met optimal public health readability (grades 6-8).
- Google searches for 'tongue tie' are increasing, contrasting with a decrease in published articles on the topic.
Conclusions
- While online information on ankyloglossia is largely of good quality, its readability is often too high for the general public.
- There is a growing public demand for information on tongue tie, juxtaposed with a declining research publication rate.