Chapter 8 Print Media
Chapter Overview
Key Issues and Learning Outcomes
Key issues within this chapter:- Print media have a useful role in health promotion in providing information on health issues.
- The effectiveness of print media depends on achieving a match between the readability of the materials and the level of literacy and health literacy of the intended audience.
- Health promotion needs to adopt a systematic approach to the development of print materials including: initial research to develop appropriate messages; good quality design using clear and attractive lay-outs; careful attention to ensure readability of the content; and pre-testing for comprehension, attention-generating potential and relevance of the content.
- identify when print material can play a role in health promotion.
- understand concepts such as health literacy, readability, layout, design, pre-testing.
- be able to adopt a systematic approach to the design and use of print materials in health promotion.
Test your Knowledge
Having read the chapter can you now answer the following questions?
- Explain the difference between the terms ‘readability’, ‘legibility’ and ‘literacy’.
- ‘Many leaflets are distributed during health promotion activities with limited impact.’ Discuss the evidence for and against this statement.
- What is the impact of culture on the content and design of a leaflet?
- What characteristics in a poster are likely to make it effective?
- What are the key decisions in preparing a leaflet?
- A common problem with print media is inadequate planning for the distribution of the materials. What steps could you take to prevent this occurring?
- Pre-testing of materials is an important phase of development. How would you go about pre-testing a leaflet to be used with 19-25 year olds?
Internet links
General
The Health Literacy Studies website at the Harvard School of Public Health
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthliteracy/index.html
For a PDF version of the American medical Associations manual ‘Health Literacy - A Manual for Clinicians’, Barry D. Weiss, MD (2003), part of an educational program about health literacy
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/367/healthlitclinicians.pdf
The ‘Pink Book - Making Communication Programmes Work’ provides a guide to developing and pre-testing materials and includes details of readability testing. http://www.cancer.gov/pinkbook
A useful discussion of readability with reference to the school materials and reading ages. www.timetabler.com/readable.pdf
How to conduct effective pretests. Handbook designed by AIDSCAP Behavior Change Communication (BCC) unit to help field-level planners and implementers conduct simple, effective pretests of communication materials for HIV/AIDS prevention. http://www.fhi.org/en/hivaids/pub/guide/bcc+handbooks/effectivepretests.htm
Useful website from the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics on the design of patient education materials. http://uuhsc.utah.edu/pated/authors/
The M/MC Health Communication Materials Network (HCMN) is an international network of professionals specializing in the development and use of health communication materials - pamphlets, posters, video, radio, novelty items, flipcharts, cue cards, training materials, electronic media, etc.
http://www.m-mc.org/
Articles
Bhatt A. (1997). ‘Many voices, one message. Guidance for the development and translation of health information.’ Health Education Authority, London. http://www.nice.org.uk/page.aspx?o=502095
DfES (2003). ‘Skills for Life -The national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy skills: Focus on delivery to 2007.’ London: Department for Education and Skills.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/RRP/u013452/index.shtml
Harvey, H. D., Fleming, P. (2003). ‘The readability and audience acceptance of printed health promotion materials used by environmental health departments.’ Journal of Environmental Health, 65, 22-28.
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-96736769.html
Heaney, D., Wyke, S., Wilson, P., Elton, R. and Rutledge, P. (2001). ‘Assessment of impact of information booklets on use of healthcare services: randomized controlled trial.’ British Medical Journal, 322, 1218-1221. Assessment of impact of information booklets on use of healthcare services http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=31622&rendertype=abstract
Kerr, J., Eves, F. and Carroll, D. (2000). ‘Posters can prompt less active people to use the stairs.’ Journal of Epidemiol Community Health, 54, 942. http://jech.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/54/12/942.pdf
Leiner, M., Handal, G.,Williams, D. (2004). ‘Patient communication: a multidisciplinary approach using animated cartoons.’ Health Education Research, 19, 591-595. http://her.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/cyg079v1.pdf
Little, P., Griffin, S., Kelly, J., Dickson, N., Sadler, C. (1998). ‘Effect of educational leaflets and questions on knowledge of contraception in women taking the combined contraceptive pill: randomized controlled trial.’ British Medical Journal, 316, 1948-1952. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/316/7149/1948
Massett, H. A. (1996). ‘Appropriateness of Hispanic print materials: a content analysis.’ Health Education Research, 11, 231-242. http://her.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/11/2/231.pdf
National Cancer Institute (1998). ‘How the Public Perceives, Processes, and Interprets Risk Information: Findings from Focus Group Research with the General Public.’ Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute.
http://www.cancer.gov/compendium/Risk-Communication-Final-Report.pdf
Rudd, R., Moeykens, B.A., Colton, T.C. (1999) ‘Health and literacy: a review of medical and public health literature.’ National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. The annual review of adult learning and literacy.
http://www.ncsall.net/?id=522
Weeks, W. B. and Wallace, A. E. (2002) ‘Readability of British and American medical prose at the start of the 21st century.’ BMJ, 325, 1451-1452. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/325/7378/1451?ijkey=1e379b4248e16c77258a9c5d2befb0494e723288&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
