Refining teratogen warning symbols for diverse populations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Risk Communication
• Graphic Design

Background:

• Current teratogen warning symbols require refinement for clarity.
• Interpretation varies across populations, including those with low health literacy, adolescents, and non-English speakers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To refine and evaluate new teratogen warning symbols.
• To assess symbol interpretation across diverse demographic groups.

Main Methods:

• Focus groups and expert review refined initial symbol designs.
• A national field trial (n=700) compared six alternative symbols against the current one.

Main Results:

• Five alternative symbols showed higher correct interpretation than the current symbol.
• Two symbols demonstrated superior accuracy in conveying message, audience, action, and consequences.
• No symbol exceeded the ANSI critical confusion limit of 5%.

Conclusions:

• At least two alternative teratogen symbols are more effective than the current design.
• Effective communication of risks (birth defects) and instructions (avoid during pregnancy) was achieved.
• Symbol effectiveness varied by participant characteristics, highlighting the need for inclusive design.