Deakin University. Australia: A Deakin
University study has found that Australian health web sites are too difficult
for the average person to read.
Dr Matthew
Dunn and Ms Christina Cheng, researchers with Deakin's School of Health and
Social Development, evaluated the readability of Australian online health
information to see if it matched the average reading level of Australians. The
results of the study, published in the Australian
and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, suggest that health web sites are
pitched above the average Australian reading level, making them an ineffective
way to provide health information to the community.
"With around
16 million Australians active online and almost 80 per cent of them seeking out
health information the internet is clearly an important way to help people
understand and make decisions about their health," Dr Dunn said.
"The limited
availability of easy-to-read health materials suggests that many Australians
are not benefiting from the convenience of the internet. The low readability
also raises concern that many readers may misinterpret the information which
could lead to inappropriate healthcare decisions."
For the
study the researchers reviewed the content of 251 web pages, representing 137
web sites, relating to 12 common health conditions – bowel cancer, breast
cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, anxiety, depression, diabetes, asthma,
arthritis, back pain, obesity and dementia. To determine readability, the pages
were assessed against the recommended benchmark of year 8 reading level.
The results
of the study showed that only 2.4 per cent of pages were considered 'easy to
read' and 0.4 per cent were below a grade 8 reading level.
"None of the
mean grade levels of the 12 health conditions matched the grade 8 benchmark,
with information on dementia and obesity found to be the most difficult to
read," Dr Dunn said.
"That
dementia and obesity information are among the most difficult to read is cause
for concern. The growing prevalence of these two conditions means it is
essential that easy-to-read health information is available to meet the needs
of those most at risk of developing obesity and dementia."
The
researchers believe a great opportunity to provide valuable health information
to Australians is being lost.
"The
flexible and interactive nature of the internet has provided health
professionals with a tool that has great potential to increase the health
literacy of the general population," Dr Dunn said.
"However,
the opportunity to make best use of the internet for relaying health
information will be lost if agencies do not assess their web sites for
readability and make the necessary changes so that a larger proportion of the
population can understand their information."
The study,
'Health Literacy and the Internet: A Study on the Readability of Australian
Online Health Information', is published in the current early view issue of the
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1753-6405.12341/abstract