Readability of patient information regarding breast cancer prevention from the Web site of the National Cancer Institute

Abstract

The increasing use of the Internet for gathering information regarding preventative health measures creates a unique dilemma. Access to the Internet is almost universal in the USA. Web sites presenting health information regarding breast cancer must create information that is understandable to the general public, meaning a reading level of around seventh grade. Text was obtained from the National Cancer Institute's Web site, and an examination of the text's grade level was performed. The text was written at between a 10th and 12th grade level. This indicates that information regarding breast cancer prevention obtained from the National Cancer Institute's web site is written at far too high of a level.