Quality and Comprehensibility Analysis of Astaxanthin: Health Literacy Point of View

Abstract

Objectives: With the exponential growth of the multibillion-dollar astaxanthin supplement industry, it is essential to assess the accuracy and clarity of information individuals encounter when searching online. In this study, we aimed to address the gap in research by analyzing the first 100 search results on Google for astaxanthin and categorizing them based on web page types. Methods: We systematically evaluated the content of the first 100 websites resulting from the search, categorizing them into academic, health professional, health news/information portal, and commercial websites. We assessed quality using JAMA benchmarks and the presence of HON Code certification. We evaluated readability using the Flesch Reading Ease Score, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, the Fog Scale, and the SMOG Index.Results: Among the 93 websites meeting inclusion criteria, health news/information portals (45%) and commercial websites (38%) predominated. Mean JAMA benchmark scores were low, indicating suboptimal quality. JAMA scores of web pages showed statistically significant differences according to web page category. Readability scores demonstrated similar levels of complexity across web page categories. Conclusions: Quality indicators revealed potential gaps in information credibility, and readability scores indicated consistent comprehensibility across different web page types. The findings underscore the need for careful evaluation of online information sources in the context of health literacy.