Scientific communication study about health for young people and quality assessment of digital resources

Introduction. The increase of Internet's popularity in recent years has dramatically changed the ways in which people carry out health information searches. This is not limited to the searches made by adults but also have a repercussion on young adults and teenagers. Objectives. The research had two main objectives: to know the quality, selection and accreditation criteria of the health information which is communicated in the web pages and verify how young people search for health information on Internet. Method. The study responds to a qualitative and quantitative paradigm, as complementary ways of perceiving the same reality, based on a holistic study from its entirety and its context. Thus, we have carried out an analysis of the contents of the digital resources with health information; in-depth interviews with the heads of web pages; focus group with teenagers from advanced secondary education and university students; concluding with an ethnographic study and quantitative study based on the execution of closed questionnaires to the analysed population segment. Results. The heads of the web pages with health information for the younger population are aware of the importance of their labour and the responsibility which corresponds to them. They are aware that information should not be focused from a paternalistic perspective but with objectivity. The young adults and teenagers consider that the ideal web page with health information must be very practical and visual, with accessible and reliable information, which permits interactivity with the users and where user opinions and professional health care advice are clearly distinguished. Discussion and Conclusion. The need to acquire healthy habits has emerged as a topic which generates major interest among young people and it has a cultural component: it is