[Readability, comprehensibility and acceptability of the materials of the Cervical Cancer Population Screening...

The implementation of the Cervical Cancer Population Screening Programme involves sending an invitation letter and a leaflet to the target population. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the readability, comprehensibility and acceptability of the letter and leaflet of the Cervical Cancer Population Screening Programme in Asturias.

A mixed methods study was conducted in fifty-four women living in Asturias between 2021-2022. The INFLESZ 1.0 was used to measure readability and the Cloze test combined with multiple-choice questions was used to assess comprehension. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were used to evaluate acceptability and understanding.

The leaflet presented normal readability. The general comprehension of the materials (letter and leaflet) was good, however, some terms such as screening were deemed confusing. The leaflet was perceived as interesting, very detailed and comprehensive. The main themes were: 1) the process of reporting on the program and its outcomes; 2) women's knowledge of screening programs and human papillomavirus were improvable; 3) the letter and leaflet were understandable; 4) what the format of the letter and leaflet should look like; and 5) factors related to participation in the programme.

The target population's assessment of the letter and the leaflet is positive, and no problems of legibility, comprehension or acceptance were detected. However, it is important to review some terms that can generate confusion. The population perceived that the information received from the screening programs is highly valuable.