title: How readable are Australian paediatric oral health education materials?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to analyse the readability of paediatric oral health education leaflets available in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty paediatric oral health education materials were analysed for general readability according to the following parameters: Thoroughness; Textual framework; Terminology; and Readability (Flesch-Kincaid grade level (FKGL), Gunning Fog index (Fog) and Simplified Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG)).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Leaflets produced by the industry were among the hardest to read with an average readability at the 8th grade (8.4 ± 0.1). The readability of leaflets produced by the commercial sector was at the 7th grade (7.1 ± 1.7) and the government at the 6th grade (6.3 ± 1.9). The FKGL consistently yielded readabilities 2 grades below the Fog and SMOG indexes. In the content analyses, 14 essential paediatric oral health topics were noted and Early Childhood Caries (ECC) was identified as the most commonly used jargon term.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paediatric oral health education materials are readily available, yet their quality and readability vary widely and may be difficult to read for disadvantaged populations in Australia. A redesign of these leaflets while taking literacy into consideration is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Room 345, Level 3, AGSM Building, Gate 11, Botany Street, Randwick NSW 2052, Australia. amit.arora@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Amit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Andy S F
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lam
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Karami
authors.forename: Loc Giang
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Do
authors.forename: Mark Fort
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002327:Cariostatic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D032882:Comprehension; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D005459:Fluorides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006267:Health Education, Dental / Q000592:standards*; D057220:Health Literacy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D009909:Oral Health; D010174:Pamphlets; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011932:Reading; D013664:Teaching Materials / Q000592:standards*; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014078:Tooth Eruption; D018677:Tooth Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D014099:Toothbrushing; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002327:Cariostatic Agents; D010895:Pit and Fissure Sealants; D014100:Toothpastes; D005459:Fluorides