A report published by the Social Issues Research Centre, combining data from a YouGov poll with the results of physiological tests on separate study group of Internet users, suggests that there is a link between badly designed websites and negative effects on human health.
Specifically, the reports links five key IT flaws in website design with problems relating to the immune, cardio function and nervous systems. The test was simple enough, requesting users to go find information from a variety of specific website locations while at the same time measuring both the physical and physiological reactions to the task. Brainwaves, heart-rate fluctuations, muscle tension and skin conductivity were all monitored.