Efficacy of Three Numerical Presentation Formats on Lay People’s Comprehension and Risk Perception of Fact Boxes—A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study

Pascal Aubertin, Thomas Frese, Jürgen Kasper, Wilfried Mau, Gabriele Meyer, Rafael Mikolajczyk, Matthias Richter, Jan Schildmann and Anke Steckelberg ()
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Pascal Aubertin: Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Thomas Frese: Institute of General Medicine, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Jürgen Kasper: Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, 0176 Oslo, Norway
Wilfried Mau: Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Gabriele Meyer: Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Rafael Mikolajczyk: Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Matthias Richter: Institute of Medical Sociology, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Jan Schildmann: Institute for History and Ethics of Medicine, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Anke Steckelberg: Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 3, 1-16

Abstract: (1) Background: Fact boxes present the benefits and harms of medical interventions in the form of tables. Some studies suggest that people with a lower level of education could profit more from graphic presentations. The objective of the study was to compare three different formats in fact boxes with regard to verbatim and gist knowledge in general and according to the educational background. (2) Methods: In May 2020, recruitment started for this randomized controlled trial. Participants were given one out of three presentation formats: natural frequencies, percentages, and graphic. We used Limesurvey ® to assess comprehension/risk perception as the primary outcome. The Kruskal–Wallis test and the Mann–Whitney U test were used in addition to descriptive analyses. (3) Results: A total of 227 people took part in the study. Results of the groups were nearly identical in relation to the primary outcome verbatim knowledge, likewise in gist knowledge. However, participants with lower educational qualifications differed from participants with higher educational qualifications in terms of verbatim knowledge in the group percentages. (4) Conclusions: The results indicate that all three forms of presentation are suitable for conveying the content. Further research should take the individual preferences regarding the format into account.

Keywords: fact boxes; evidence-based health information; consumer health information; Patient Education Handout; presentation formats (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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