Focus Group Evaluation of Customized Family Health History Education Materials in a North Carolina Community

The "Does It Run In The Family?" booklets provide educational materials about family health history (FHH) and basic genetics to readers of all levels and are customizable for local communities. Purpose: The booklets were customized and provided to focus groups to evaluate their usefulness in conveying health information at a low reading level. Methods: Three focus groups with 19 participants reviewed the booklets. A semi-structured focus group guide was used. Transcripts were analyzed manually and coded for themes. Results: Five themes emerged across all three focus groups: appearance, organization, content, length, and reading comprehension of the booklets. Many participants noted that the booklets were attractive, well organized, contained useful information and were understandable. Participants indicated that the customized materials were interesting. Concerns were expressed about the booklets' length and lack of detailed information. Discussion: The focus groups revealed that literacy level, personalization of educational materials, the use of relevant pictures to emphasize topics, phrasing of the title and sentences, and the organization of information are important factors to consider when producing effective community education materials. Translation to Health Education Practice: The booklets are distributed through local health organizations to assist community members when obtaining FHH. (Contains 2 figures and 3 tables.)