The process of developing a content analysis study to evaluate the quality of breastfeeding information on the Internet-based media

Abstract

The Internet offers a powerful network of information on breastfeeding that is used by doctors, patients, and scientists. The objective of this study is to describe the process of development of a data extraction tool to evaluate the content and quality of breastfeeding information on the Internet. Using a descriptive study method, we examined Internet pages to determine which variables needed to be measured in order to develop the data extraction tool. A purposive sampling of websites was selected to pilot test this tool. The developed data extraction tool has a descriptive structure to characterize websites and text pages. Using the developed tool, we can assess whether the information on text pages is supportive of breastfeeding and whether other strategies that protect breastfeeding are followed. The developed data extraction tool is a useful instrument that can assist researchers in evaluating the quality of information posted on the Internet related to breastfeeding.