Evaluation of the readability, understandability, and actionability of COVID-19 public health messaging in Atlantic Canada

Frontiers in Communication

Communication

Alyson Campbell¹  Sarah Doak²  Laurie Michael²  William Montelpare²  Anja Salijevic²  Katherine Jennifer Kelly² 

[1] Faculty of Nursing, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE, Canada;Health Research Network, Department of Applied Human Sciences, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE, Canada;

关键词: health literacy;    knowledge translation;    communication COVID-19;    health information;    health communication;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fcomm.2023.1006784

 received in 2022-07-29, accepted in 2023-04-24,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionEffective communication of COVID-19 information involves clear messaging to ensure that readers comprehend and can easily apply behavioral recommendations. This study evaluated the readability, understandability, and actionability of public health resources produced by the four provincial governments in Atlantic Canada (New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island).MethodsA total of 400 web-based resources were extracted in June 2022 and evaluated using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, CDC Clear Communication Index, and the Patient and Education Materials Assessment Tool. Descriptive statistics and a comparison of mean scores were conducted across provinces and type of resources (e.g., text, video).ResultsOverall, readability of resources across the region exceeded recommendations, requiring an average Grade 11 reading level. Videos and short form communication resources, including infographics, were the most understandable and actionable. Mean scores across provinces differed significantly on each tool; Newfoundland and Labrador produced materials that were most readable, understandable, and actionable, followed by New Brunswick.DiscussionRecommendations on improving clarity of COVID-19 resources are described. Careful consideration in the development of publicly available resources is necessary in supporting COVID-19 knowledge uptake, while reducing the prevalence of misinformation.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Kelly, Campbell, Salijevic, Doak, Michael and Montelpare.