Qualitative Assessment of Atopic Dermatitis-Related Websites / 소아알레르기및호흡기학회지

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the current status of Internet websites dealing with atopic dermatitis and to evaluate the quality of their contents using an evaluation tool. METHODS: The words "atopic dermatitis" were searched with the four most commonly used Internet search engines between July and August of 2005. The searched websites included commercial medical instrument, oriental medicine, community (i.e., health portal), and medical institution sites. However, we assessed with the evaluation tool, the quality of the contents of only those sites that provided some description of atopic dermatitis-related symptoms, doctor consultations, and treatment and management. RESULTS: A total of 104 web sites were searched. Among them, commercial medical nstrument sites were the most common [53 sites (51%)], followed by oriental medicine sites [28 sites (26.9%)]. The quality of each of these 82 site's contents was analyzed. At the community sites, the purpose of the site's existence was clearer, but the reliability of information was relatively poor, as compared with the other site types. Among the various types of informations on atopic dermatitis, treatment and management, of the greatest interest to users, showed only a low-accuracy rating on the qualitative assessment. CONCLUSION: Commercial medical instrument sites predominated among the four types of site that providing atopic dermatitis-related information in internet. Having assessed the quality of contents of all of the four types of site, we showed that the accuracy of complementary alternative medical information was low. In this regard, it is deemed necessary to formulate a standard for finding and managing correct information.

Effects of Particulate Matter (PM10) on The Pulmonary Function of Middle-School Children

It has been reported that the particulate matter under 10 micrometer (PM10) has deleterious effects on respiratory health. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of PM10 upon normal children's lung function. The subjects were 368 middle school students in two areas of Incheon Metropolitan City. One (Incheon) is in the central city and the other (Ganghwa) is in the suburbs. Air pollution data in the vicinities of two participating schools were obtained from monthly report of air quality from Korean Ministry of Environment in 2000. Pulmonary function testing (PFT) was done two times, the first one in March and the second one in December with the same students. We analyzed the relationship between the PM10 levels and pulmonary functions (FEV1, FVC) of the children. The monthly average of the PM10 level between the two areas showed no significant difference (55.3 vs. 52.3 microgram/m3 ). In both regions, the difference of the PM10 level between March and December was statistically significant (64 vs. 56 microgram/m3 in Incheon, 64 vs. 54 g/m 3 in Ganghwa). The findings of the PFT values in March were significantly lower than those values found in December for both regions. In conclusion, we suggest that PM10 has some adverse effect on the pulmonary function of normal children.