Expanded 6th grade reading level summary: Paragraph 1: This study looked at the health information that kratom vendors provide to customers on their websites. Kratom is a plant that some people use to help with things like pain, mental health issues, and getting off drugs. However, there is not a lot of research on how safe or effective kratom is. The researchers wanted to see if the websites of kratom vendors that follow good manufacturing practices (GMP) give customers enough information to make informed decisions about using kratom.
Paragraph 2: The researchers looked at 42 websites of kratom vendors that are GMP certified. They used a tool called DISCERN to see how well the websites provide information about kratom, including the benefits and risks. Overall, the websites scored pretty low on the DISCERN tool, meaning they did not provide enough information for customers to make good choices about using kratom. The researchers suggest that the kratom vendors should try to improve the quality of the health information they provide to customers, especially when it comes to the risks and benefits of using kratom.
This was a real-world study that looked at the websites of kratom vendors, not a lab study.
This study did not involve any animals or humans directly, it just analyzed the information available on kratom vendor websites.
Key takeaways:
- The websites of GMP-certified kratom vendors do not provide enough information about the benefits, risks, and uncertainties of using kratom.
- Kratom vendors should try to improve the quality of health information they provide to customers, especially around the potential risks and benefits of using kratom.
- There is a lack of evidence-based information available to consumers about kratom, which makes it hard for them to make informed decisions.
- Healthcare providers need to be aware of the limited information available to patients who use or are interested in using kratom.
For further reading:
https://substanceabusepolicy.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13011-023-00531-4
Full Citation:
Hill, K., Gibson, S., Grundmann, O., Smith, K. E., Ballard, J., & Stanciu, C. N. (2023). Evaluating health information provided to kratom consumers by good manufacturing practice-qualified vendors. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 18(1), 1-15.
