Information regarding Zika virus on the Internet: A cross-sectional study of readability

The purpose of this study was to determine the readability of 100 articles posted on the Internet related to the Zika virus. An on-line readability calculator was used to generate scores on each website from 5 readability tests. Most of the material analyzed was written at a level beyond grade 10. The data in this study make a compelling case that websites containing information on the Zika virus are being written at levels beyond what is recommended. It would behoove those who create health information to consider ways to adapt their materials in a way that is consistent with recommended readability levels.