Table 2 Characteristics of 71 Internet websites on probiotics
Characteristic | N (%) |
|---|---|
Type of Website | Â |
 commercial | 36 (51) |
 media | 9 (13) |
 organization | 9 (13) |
 other | 9 (13) |
 content farms | 3 (4) |
 personal | 3 (4) |
 healthcare institution | 2 (3) |
 government | 1 (1) |
Information Provided | Â |
 organization maintaining web address | 67 (94) |
 year established | 58 (82) |
 last updated | 31 (44) |
External Links | Â |
 commercial | 46 (65) |
 research | 21 (30) |
 educational | 12 (17) |
 government | 11 (16) |
 other | 10 (14) |
 other organization | 8 (11) |
 voluntary health organization | 8 (11) |
 medical institution | 6 (9) |
 professional organization | 6 (9) |
 media | 4 (6) |
Link to Products | Â |
 at least 1 link to a probiotic product | 51 (72) |
  advertisement | 38 (75) |
  link to outside url to purchase | 24 (47) |
  information on where to purchase | 17 (33) |
  direct purchase | 14 (28) |
Sponsorship | Â |
 returned as sponsored link | 12 (17) |
Contact Information | Â |
 provides contact information | 58 (82) |