Linguistic difficulties of health educational materials

A sub-national-level assessment and implications for adolescent health literacy in Ghana

Bibliographic Data

ID21601140
AuthorsJacqueline Nkrumah (0000-0002-8047-2600, University of Ghana), Aaron Asibi Abuosi (0000-0003-2226-4309, University of Ghana), Lily Yarney (0000-0003-3423-326X, University of Ghana), Anita Asiwome Adzo Baku (0000-0002-4741-592X, University of Ghana), Anita Asiowome Adzo Baku
Year2025
Volume125
Issue2
Pages155-169
Publication date2025-02-26
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0965-4283 • E-ISSN: 1758-714X
PublisherEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/he-11-2023-0111
OpenAlexW4407045432
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited36

Purpose The study aims to evaluate the readability, comprehensibility, and vocabulary knowledge of SRH educational materials available online and on paper to inform health educational material development for young adolescents. Design/methodology/approach The study used a sequential mixed-method design. Thirty-four online and one print adolescent sexual and reproductive health educational materials were assessed for readability. Two hundred and sixty-three adolescents aged 11–15 participated in the comprehension and vocabulary knowledge assessment of the online sexual and reproductive health texts. Comprehensibility was measured using a cloze test, and vocabulary knowledge was assessed based on a vocabulary knowledge passage. Data processing was performed using SPSS, version 26.0 and the online readability consensus calculator, version 1.0. We analyzed the data using readability algorithms, cross-tabulation and bar charts. Findings The results show higher readability levels for online SRH materials. Average Flesch reading ease scores range between 37.5% and 69.1%. Other average range indices were the Flesch Reading Grade Level (7–14), Gunning Fog Index (8.8–19), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (6.6–10.6) and Common-Lieu Index (7.5–11.5). Nearly 51% of participants in the comprehension assessment read at the instructional level. The Chi-square test for grade level differences shows a statistically significant (X2 = 11.349; p = 0.003) difference in comprehension between 7th and 8th graders. The participants also identified 29 words from the 1,048-word passage for assessing vocabulary knowledge as unfamiliar and difficult, and 14 as familiar but difficult to understand. Originality/value The study’s findings may inform the design of health educational materials and provide a basis for a national decision on the readability threshold of adolescent health information

Adolescent health · Environmental health · Health care · Health education · Health literacy · Literacy · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Public health · Educational Methods and Media Use · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology · Text Readability and Simplification

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