title: An analysis of the readability characteristics of oral health information literature available to the public in Tasmania, Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effectiveness of print-based health promotion materials is dependent on their readability. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of print-based oral health information literature publically available in Tasmania, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oral health education brochures were collected from 11 dental clinics across Tasmania and assessed for structure and format, content and readability. Reading level was calculated using three widely-used measures: Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Flesch Reading Ease, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) reading grade level.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The FKGL of the 67 brochures sampled ranged from grade 3 to 13. The grade level for government health department brochures (n = 14) ranged from grade 4 to 11 (5.6 ± 1.8). Reading levels for materials produced by commercial sources (n = 22) ranged from 3 to 13 (8.3 ± 2.1), those from professional associations (n = 22) ranged from grade 7 to 11 (8.9 ± 0.9) and brochures produced by other sources (n = 9) ranged from 5 to 10 (7.6 ± 1.5). The SMOG test was positively correlated with the FKGL (rs = 0.92, p < 0.001) though consistently rated materials 2-3 grades higher. The reading level required to comprehend brochures published by government sources were, on average, lower than those from commercial, professional and other sources. Government materials were also more likely to contain fewer words and professional jargon terms than brochures from the other sources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A range of oral health information brochures were publically available for patients in both public and private dental clinics. However, their readability characteristics differed. Many brochures required a reading skill level higher than that suited to a large proportion of the Tasmanian population. Readability and other characteristics of oral health education materials should be assessed to ensure their suitability for use with patients, especially those suspected of having low literacy skills.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rural Health, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1322, Launceston, TAS, 7250, Australia. Tony.barnett@utas.edu.au.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Centre for Rural Health, University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1322, Launceston, TAS, 7250, Australia.
authors.forename: Ha
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hoang
authors.affiliation: Northern Dental Centre, Oral Health Services Tasmania, 2 Kelham St, Launceston, TAS, 7250, Australia.
authors.forename: Ashlea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Furlan
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D032882:Comprehension; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011932:Reading; D013648:Tasmania
keywords: Dental; Health education and promotion materials; Health literacy; Oral health; Readability