CRN Projects

This study proposes to develop a test to assess comprehension of oral (i.e., spoken)messages about cancer prevention and screening, to examine the relationship between health literacy and cancer prevention, and to test whether changing oral messages can improve comprehension. Findings will lay the foundation for future research into the prevalence of inadequate oral health literacy; identification of groups and individuals with inadequate comprehension skills; identification of risk factors and causes of limited comprehension; and development and evaluation of interventions to improve comprehension of orally transmitted messages. The study team will use both quantitative and qualitative methods to identify the factors that affect comprehensibility of oral

messages about cancer prevention and screening. The project will develop recommendations for modifying oral messages so that they are easily comprehensible, and will test the impact of specific enhancements in a randomized experiment.