Knowledge Base Repository
In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
THE READABILITY OF ONLINE HEALTH INFOGRAPHICS ON CDC AND WHO: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
Ren HUANG; Xuejuan FU; Wei GAN
Type:
Year:
2025
Editor:
Yong Se Kim; Yutaka Nomaguchi; Cees de Bont; Jianxi Luo; Xiaofang Yuan; Linna Hu; Meng Wang
Author:
Series:
Other endorsed
Institution:
Guangdong University of Technology, China
Page(s):
301-306
Abstract:
Effective communication of health information involves clear messaging to ensure that readers comprehend and can easily apply behavioral recommendations. Infographics that are combinations of text and pictures have been widely used as an effective form to convey information in public health and nutrition. The current study aims at exploring the readability of public health infographics online to determine whether they meet recommended guidelines, especially health infographics on government websites by public health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Online health infographics from graphic page on the CDC website and WHO website were included in the research. The traditional readability formulas like Flesch Reading Ease, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level and The SMOG Index which focused on textual features and formulas considered cognitive factors like ATOS, New Dale-Chall and Coh-Metrix were used to test the infographics readability. We compared the readability of online health infographics with general guidelines. The results demonstrated that most infographics from the CDC and WHO exceed the general guideline. Meanwhile, online health infographics in WHO have better performance on readability formulars that focus on textural features and cognitive factors compared with CDC. Based on these results, the health infographics from the CDC and WHO which are prominence in public health communication are not easily readable and understandable for individuals attempting to use the online health information to make the health decision and engagement. It is also insights the well-designed health infographics should be mindful more than the visual aesthetics but also the textural features and cognitive factors to improve the information readability.
Keywords:
