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Theoretical Background and research questions/hypothesis: Internet searches are becoming a go-to for concerned and unsure parents seeking opinions. A recent qualitative study found that new mothers tended to use Google as a first source when looking for answers to a health question (Sundstrom, 2016). This internet searching behavior will be examined in the current study through the lens of uncertainty management theory as discussed by Brashers (2001). The issue of whether to vaccinate children is hotly debated, and an issue that many parents may turn to online sources to obtain advice about. It is important to evaluate what information parents who search for advice online are receiving, in order to develop communications to supplement this information, if necessary. Therefore the research questions for the current study are: What are the characteristics of the top results for advice for the MMR vaccine, advice for the HPV vaccine for sons, and advice for the HPV vaccine for daughters? Do search results differ between vaccine type? Do search results differ when searching for HPV vaccine advice for a son versus searching for HPV vaccine advice for a daughter?
Methods: A list of websites were located on google.com using the search terms “Should I get the MMR vaccine for my baby”, “Should I get the HPV vaccine for my daughter”, and “Should I get the HPV vaccine for my son”. The top 50 search results for each question were analyzed to see percentage of websites pro- or anti-vaccine, and to examine other characteristics of the websites.
Results: Results indicated that close to 80% of the websites for the MMR search were .com websites. The valence was overwhelmingly positive toward getting the vaccine, with approximately 70% of websites providing an overall positively valenced look at the MMR vaccine. About half of the websites or links provided an interactive tool of some sort for viewers. For advice about HPV vaccines for sons, approximately 52% were for .com sites, 38% for .org, and 10% for .gov. The valence was similar to the MMR, and about half of the sites offered an opportunity for interaction. For HPV vaccines for daughters, 36% were .com, 18% .gov, and 46% were .org. 55% were pro vaccine, 27% were neutral, and 18% were anti-vaccine. Only 27% of the websites offered a means for interactivity between audience members.
Conclusions: Although overall it appears that most search results are pro-vaccine, there appear to be differences in the types of information available to parents of babies (MMR vaccine advice searchers) versus parents of older children (HPV vaccine advice searchers), and in advice given for the same vaccine between parents of boys and parents of girls.
Implications for research and/or practice: Campaigns can be started to encourage parents to evaluate the source trustworthiness and expertise of websites for health issue questions, and also to encourage parents to consult with medical professionals before making any decision for their child. Future research should investigate posts and conversations on social media such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as expanding to other vaccine types and treatment options.