Communicating the health risks of wildfire smoke exposure: Health literacy considerations of public health campaigns

Effective communication about the health effects of wildfire smoke is important to protect the public, especially those most vulnerable to the effects of exposure: people with chronic respiratory conditions, children, and older adults. The objective of this paper is to examine the clarity and accessibility of materials intended to provide education about the health effects of wildfire. The Centers for Disease Control’s Clear Communications Index (CCI) is used to evaluate whether materials adhere to the main principles of health literacy: clarity and accessibility. This analysis found that only 32% of the materials received a passing score on the Clear Communications Index. Most materials were successful at clearly presenting specific behavioral recommendations, particularly that people should avoid exposure to air polluted by wildfire smoke by staying indoors, reducing activity levels, and using air purifiers or approved dust masks. However, materials often failed to acknowledge any uncertainty around these recommendations. Creators of these materials may want to incorporate more relevant illustrations to support the main message, and consider how information about the risks and benefits of the recommended behaviors can most clearly be presented.