Comprehension of Health-related Written Materials by Older Adults |
| |
| Authors: | Chiung-ju Liu Susan Kemper James A Bovaird |
| |
| Institution: | 1. Department of Occupational Therapy , School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Indiana University at Indianapolis , Indianapolis, Indiana, USA liu41@iupui.edu;3. Gerontology Center, University of Kansas , Lawrence, Kansas, USA;4. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Lincoln, Nebraska, USA |
| |
| Abstract: | This study examined how Flesch Reading Ease and text cohesion affect older adults' comprehension of common health texts. All older adults benefited when high Flesh Reading Ease was combined with high cohesion. Older adults with small working memories had more difficulty understanding texts high in Flesch Reading Ease. Additionally, older adults with low verbal ability or older than 77 years of age had difficulty understanding texts high in text cohesion but low in Flesch Reading Ease. These results imply that writers must increase Flesch Reading Ease without disrupting text cohesion to ensure comprehension of health-related texts. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
