Problem/Objective: Due to the impact that parental smoking has on all family members, there is a strong need for health education materials for parents who smoke, yet this need is not one that can be filled simply. The Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure (CEASE) is one of the few sources of tobacco-related education brochures for parents. Unlike materials for non-parents, tobacco-related education materials for parents must address tobacco use prevention, cessation, and secondhand smoke exposure. Currently, there are few objective guidelines dictating the development and assessment of appropriate health education materials for adults. Reading level is one empirical standard for assessing health education materials. Public health guidelines currently recommend that materials be written to a 3rd to 6th grade reading level for wider accessibility.

Methods: The reading levels of nine CEASE brochures were analyzed using a Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test Scoring software program. As a comparison group, the reading levels of four nationally available parental tobacco brochures were also analyzed.

Results: Eight of nine (88%) of the CEASE brochures meet the accepted standard for readability. The average reading level of the CEASE brochures is 4.6th grade. None of the selected comparison brochures met the low literacy criteria. The average reading level of the nationally available materials is 8th grade.

Conclusions: Developing materials with lower reading levels is just one aspect of creating an effective and suitable outreach to parents who smoke.