title: [Legibility analysis of drug package leaflets using Flesch-Sszigriszt index and Inflesz score].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To measure and evaluate the legibility of a sample of informative leaflets about common drugs.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed, using a representative sample of package leaflets corresponding to the 30 most widely consumed drugs in Spain. The Flesch-Szigriszt Index was used as a measuring tool and the INFLESZ score to evaluate the legibility of leaflets of medicinal products. Documents with a Flesch-Szigriszt Index value ≥55 were considered legible.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean Flesch-Szigriszt Index value was 52.62 (standard deviation: 4.67). This score is classified as "a bit difficult" on the INFLESZ score. Only 10 of 30 leaflets obtained an acceptable level of legibility. The sections of the leaflets with higher grammatical complexity were "what it is and what it is used for" (indications), "before taking the medication" (contraindications) and "adverse effects".
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The legibility of the package leaflets analyzed could be improved: grammatical structures are usually convoluted, and their comprehension by ordinary citizens belonging to the general public is difficult. The involvement of health care professionals in resolving doubts and giving information to users about the consumption of drugs may be essential for a correct treatment.
authors.affiliation: Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería, Universidad del País Vasco, Leioa 48940, Spain. sendoa.ballesteros@ehu.es.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ballesteros-Peña
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernández-Aedo
mesh_terms: D032882:Comprehension; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004348:Drug Labeling