With rising rates of obesity and obesity-related health problems, finding additional means to help reduce obesity is critical. This review examined the impact of the Internet as a medium to deliver weight loss programs. Specifically, the review examined the public's interest, the availability and the known efficacy of Internet-based weight loss programs. Findings showed that the general public is turning to the Internet for diet and fitness information and has reported that information they found online has impacted their behaviour. Little is known about who is interested in using the Internet for weight loss and what their experiences have been. The programs most readily available to the general consumer tend to vary widely in quality, with few efficacy studies. However, researchers have shown that efficacious programs have been delivered via the Internet. Successful online programs included a structured approach to modifying energy balance, the use of cognitive-behavioural strategies such as self-monitoring, and individualized feedback and support. Implications include developing strategies to increase distribution of programs with known efficacy, determining the applicability of effective programs for diverse audiences, conducting media literacy education for the general public, and continued research into understanding who may be best served by online weight loss programming.

Background Adult women living in rural areas have high rates of obesity. Although rural populations have been deemed hard to reach, Internet-based programming is becoming a viable strategy as rural Internet access increases. However, when people are able to get online, they may not find information designed for them and their needs, especially harder to reach populations. This results in a “content gap” for many users.Objective User-centered design is a methodology that can be used to create appropriate online materials. This research was conducted to apply a user-centered approach to the design and development of a health promotion website for low-income mothers living in rural Maryland.Methods Three iterative rounds of concept testing were conducted to (1) identify the name and content needs of the site and assess concerns about registering on a health-related website; (2) determine the tone and look of the website and confirm content and functionality; and (3) determine usability and acceptability. The first two rounds involved focus group and small group discussions, and the third round involved usability testing with individual women as they used the prototype system.Results The formative research revealed that women with limited incomes were enthusiastic about a website providing nutrition and physical activity information targeted to their incomes and tailored to their personal goals and needs. Other priority content areas identified were budgeting, local resources and information, and content that could be used with their children. Women were able to use the prototype system effectively.Conclusions This research demonstrated that user-centered design strategies can help close the “content gap” for at-risk audiences.

Advancing the clinical trial research process to improve cancer treatment necessitates helping people with cancer identify and enroll in studies, and researchers are using the power of the Internet to facilitate this process. This study used a content analysis of online cancer clinical trials search tools to understand what people with cancer might encounter. The content analysis revealed that clinical trial search tools were easy to identify using a popular search engine, but their functionality and content varied greatly. Most required that users be fairly knowledgeable about their medical condition and sophisticated in their web navigation skills. The ability to search by a specific health condition or type of cancer was the most common search strategy. The more complex tools required that users input detailed information about their personal medical history and have knowledge of specific clinical trial terminology. Search tools, however, only occasionally advised users to consult their doctors regarding clinical trials decision-making. This, along with the complexity of the tools suggests that online search tools may not adequately facilitate the clinical trials recruitment process. Findings from this analysis can be used as a framework from which to systematically examine actual consumer experience with online clinical trials search tools.

Cyberbullying, defined as bullying that takes place using technology, includes similar tactics found in traditional bullying as well as unique approaches such as viral repetition. Nationally, prevalence rates for cyberbullying range from 10% to as high as 40% of school-aged children, depending on the definition and measurement tool applied. The current study examines public tweets with keywords and hashtags related to cyberbullying posted during May 2016, using both human evaluation and computer examination to answer the following research questions: (1) What is the sentiment of tweets using cyberbullying keywords/hashtags? (2) What is the thematic content of the tweets? (3) What is the relationship between coding by researchers versus automated coding by Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software? and (4) What is the content of the URLs attached to the tweets? A unique aspect of this study is the examination of the content of URLs included in the tweets, with the finding that the majority of the accessible URL references were to material that was positively focused. The majority of sample tweets referred to a cyberbully situation, contributed to a negative atmosphere, included references to known individuals, and suggested ongoing cyberbullying events. Results from this study suggest an opportunity for researchers, educators, and public health practitioners to use discourse on social media to inform interventions, to educate and share information, and to promote social well-being and mental health.

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