Review: Public health communication in time of crisis: Readability of on-line COVID-19 information

Review: Public health communication in time of crisis: Readability of on-line COVID-19 information

This study found that most online COVID-19 information is written at or above a 10th grade reading level, making it difficult for the average American to read and understand.

Most people turn to written information to understand what is occurring in times of crisis like the current pandemic. To decrease the risk of panic and to inform the public, COVID-19 messages must be written at a reading level that most Americans can read and understand, which according to experts is a 6th grade level or lower. Unfortunately, most current messages are too difficult for the average American to read because they are written at a 10th grade or higher. To keep the public fully informed and compliant with recommended preventive behaviors, messages must be communicated with easier content they can understand.

|2020-05-13T08:52:07-04:00May 13th, 2020|COVID-19 Literature|Comments Off on Review: Public health communication in time of crisis: Readability of on-line COVID-19 information

About the Author: James Dudley

James Dudley

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