Pretesting a childbirth handbook

The development of health education materials for pregnant women involves the work of knowledgeable and experienced health professionals, writers, editors, and artists. Frequently, these materials are also extensively reviewed by various experts and organizations prior to publication. Even with all this expert input and review, however, they can miss the mark if they are not deemed appropriate and acceptable by the audience for whom they were created. In developing a new booklet on childbirth, the New York State Department of Health wanted to ensure that the material would be read and used by pregnant women from various income and educational levels and racial and ethnic groups. Research was conducted by the department to pretest the booklet for its appropriateness for and acceptance by the target audience. Based on the reactions and suggestions from 89 women in eight focus groups, the booklet was revised extensively before being made available to the general public.