ArticleJournal of medical Internet research2020
Online Information on Electronic Cigarettes: Comparative Study of Relevant Websites From Baidu and Google Search Engines.
Article in Journal of medical Internet research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
What it found
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- #NoIDVape: A content analysis of illicit vape messaging in young people's information sources.Addiction (Abingdon, England) · 2026Article
- Analysis of physicians' statements on electronic cigarettes in YouTube videos in Türkiye: a thematic content analysis.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Spatiotemporal Characteristics and Influential Factors of Electronic Cigarette Web-Based Attention in Mainland China: Time Series Observational Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Observational
- Quality of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Information on the Chinese Internet: Website Evaluation Study.JMIR formative research · 2024Article
- An Analysis of Public Perception and Concern Toward Electronic Cigarettes: Exploring Attitudes and Profiles.Cureus · 2023Article
- U.S. digital tobacco marketing and youth: A narrative review.Preventive medicine reports · 2023Review
- The risk profile of electronic nicotine delivery systems, compared to traditional cigarettes, on oral disease: a review.Frontiers in public health · 2023Review
- Online E-Cigarette Information Exposure and Its Association with E-Cigarette Use among Adolescents in Shanghai, China.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Social environment exposure to electronic cigarettes and its association with e-cigarette use among adolescents in Shanghai, China.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Online Public Attention Toward Premature Ejaculation in Mainland China: Infodemiology Study Using the Baidu Index.Journal of medical Internet research · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOnline information on electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) may influence people's perception and use of e-cigarettes. Websites with information on e-cigarettes in the Chinese language have not been systematically assessed.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to assess and compare the types and credibility of Web-based information on e-cigarettes identified from Google (in English) and Baidu (in Chinese) search engines.
methodsWe used the keywords vaping or e-cigarettes to conduct a search on Google and the equivalent Chinese characters for Baidu. The first 50 unique and relevant websites from each of the two search engines were included in this analysis. The main characteristics of the websites, credibility of the websites, and claims made on the included websites were systematically assessed and compared.
resultsCompared with websites on Google, more websites on Baidu were owned by manufacturers or retailers (15/50, 30% vs 33/50, 66%; P<.001). None of the Baidu websites, compared to 24% (12/50) of Google websites, were provided by public or health professional institutions. The Baidu websites were more likely to contain e-cigarette advertising (P<.001) and less likely to provide information on health education (P<.001). The overall credibility of the included Baidu websites was lower than that of the Google websites (P<.001). An age restriction warning was shown on all advertising websites from Google (15/15) but only on 10 of the 33 (30%) advertising websites from Baidu (P<.001). Conflicting or unclear health and social claims were common on the included websites.
conclusionsAlthough conflicting or unclear claims on e-cigarettes were common on websites from both Baidu and Google search engines, there was a lack of online information from public health authorities in China. Unbiased information and evidence-based recommendations on e-cigarettes should be provided by public health authorities to help the public make informed decisions regarding the use of e-cigarettes.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.