Aim: To compare the readability of adult subject information leaflets prepared for medical research projects with the readability scores of a range of New Zealand newspaper editorials and popular magazine articles.
Methods: Of the 134 research projects approved by the Auckland Area Health Board in 1991, 99 were analysed together with nine randomly selected newspaper editorials and nine randomly selected articles from popular magazines. The Flesch reading ease index, the Flesch-Kincaid index and the Gunning fog index were calculated using a computerised grammar checker.
Results: Subject information leaflets were easier to read than newspaper editorials but significantly more difficult to read than articles in popular magazines. The Flesch reading ease index showed that information leaflets had a median readability score of 53 compared with magazines which had a score of 67 and newspaper editorials which had a score of 48. The level of secondary school education required to read information leaflets was equivalent to about 2 years or form 4, whereas a level of about form 5 appears to be required to read newspaper editorials and a level of about form 1 for magazine articles.
Conclusions: The readability level of information leaflets prepared for participants in medical research in the Auckland area appears satisfactory and the process for reviewing this component of the research protocol appears consistent and effective. Readability scores may be a useful tool in assessing the overall ease with which written information can be read.