Online Materials Provided to Public by Mother-Support Groups in Breastfeeding: Observations on Readability and Access

Virginia Thorley

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DOI: 10.2190/SH.4.1-2.f

Abstract

The Internet has developed as a medium for linking people to share support and information, particularly when family responsibilities, disabilities, age, or geography isolate them from a relevant peer group. However, poor literacy limits access to online searches and communication. Internet users may sometimes download and print out information materials for others without Internet access, who may or may not be proficient readers. Functional illiteracy is often unrecognized and it has been recommended that health informational materials be pitched at Grades 5 or 6 reading levels. This article examines the readability scores of a selection of short informational materials in English, available for download on the Websites of self-help organizations for breastfeeding mothers.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.