Pretesting Health Promotion Leaflets—A Case Study

AbstractPrinted materials form part of health promotion departments' overall strategy and on the basis of current demand are likely to continue to do this for the foreseeable future. A great deal is known about the most effective ways of communicating through the written word. Readability tests, text and layout design all contribute to improving the way in which information is communicated. This paper uses a case study, which describes the development and pretesting of a leaflet on healthy eating, to demonstrate that it is also important for the written information to reflect the values, language and concerns of the target group.Pretesting is a vital element in the process of developing written information. It is becoming increasingly apparent that the easier to reach groups have largely made significant lifestyle changes, particularly in relation to smoking and eating habits. With high smoking rates and poor diet increasingly concentrated among the lower socioeconomic groups, it is vital that more innova...