KHS 400: Health Psychology

It is important to be critical of health information found on the web. When you locate a health website, you first need to evaluate the resource to determine if the information is trustworthy.

Questions used to evaluate a website:

• Who created the information? Is there an "about us" page?
• When was the web page created? Or do you know when it was last updated?
• Does the information come from medical research? Are sources cited?
• Can you tell who funds the web page?

For a more detailed checklist, MedlinePlus has a Guide to Healthy Web Surfing

Also, the tool Trust It or Trash It can help you think critically about the quality of health information found on websites, handouts, booklets, and more.

The following list contains websites that may be helpful for your research:

• Statista 

  Statistical database containing statistics on many topics from advertising & trade to sports and recreation. Also contains market research, country reports, and business research.

• CDC National Center for Health Statistics

  As the nation's principal health statistics agency, statistical information is compiled to guide actions and policies to improve health.

• Mayo Clinic Health Information

  Offers information on diseases and conditions, symptoms, drugs, tests, procedures and healthy living.

• Minnesota Department of Health

  The Minnesota Health Statistics Annual Summary is a yearly report covering statistical data for the state of Minnesota on topics such as infant mortality, fertility, general mortality, population, and more.

• National Center for Health Statistics

  Search for statistics on all manner of health topics such as aging and birth rates, diseases and physical activity.

• Kaiser Family Foundation: State Health Facts

  The Kaiser Family Foundation provides health data for the United States and surrounding territories. Users are able to map, rank, trend, and download data. Data come from a variety of public and private sources.

• WHO Global Health Observatory

  The Global Health Observatory of the World Health Organization provides health-related statistics for more than 1000 indicators for 194 Member States.

Resources from the National Library of Medicine

• MedlinePlus -  information on health conditions, wellness issues, and more in easy-to-read language.
• DailyMed - information about marketed drugs in the United States.
• Drug Information Portal - selected drug information from the National Library of Medicine and other key government agencies

Resources from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• NIH Health Information - links to health information from across the National Institutes of Health
• NIDA for Teens - scientific facts about drugs and addiction, drug use among teens, and how drugs affect the teen brain and body.
• Senior Health Information - information on health topics specifically for older adults, including Alzheimer's and dementia, health eating, and caregiving from the National Institute of Aging
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements - science-based answers to your questions about dietary supplements
• We Can! - a national program designed to provide parents, caregivers, and communities a way to help children stay at a healthy weight.
• NIDDK Health Information - information for improving public health on topics including diabetes, kidney disease, and digestive diseases.
• NCCIH Health Information - information on complementary health approaches and practices including acupuncture, herbs, alternative health care, and natural medicine.

Other Government Organizations

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Minnesota Department of Health
• Minneapolis Health Department

Private Foundations (these are just a few examples)

• Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) - health resources for people with type 1 diabetes and their families
• Sickle Cell Disease Foundation - has health information on sickle cell disease
• American Heart Association - information on healthy living and heart attack and stroke symptoms