Pilot rapid assessment of cultural and linguistic appropriateness of COVID-19 educational materials

Background:

Health education materials translated for limited English proficiency audiences should be clear and easy to understand. They should be reviewed by fluent and culturally competent reviewers using a standardized and validated assessment tool.

Program background:

In June 2020, a pilot rapid assessment of 139 CDC COVID-19 translated health education materials was conducted. Materials were reviewed for cultural and linguistic appropriateness.

Evaluation Methods and Results:

CDC staff acted as volunteer reviewers. They were trained to collect data using a standardized assessment tool, and recorded issues found in translated materials by issue, material, and media type. They were selected for their fluency in the language being reviewed as well as their cultural knowledge of the intended audience. Reviewers took an average completion time of 16 minutes per material across all media types.

Reviewers identified 150 issues related to words, phrases and images that were confusing, difficult to interpret, or held multiple possible interpretations. Print materials had the most issues, with a median of 1 issue per material, ranging between 0 and 7 issues per material. The most common issue (28%) was incorrectly translated (including untranslated) words and phrases. The second most common (20%) issues reported were cultural, “confusing or different meanings in words, phrases or images,” meaning key content in the translated material may be unclear or misinterpreted.

Conclusions:

This assessment demonstrated the feasibility and efficiency of conducting reviews with culturally and linguistically competent in-house reviewers using a quality assessment protocol that includes a review for cultural and linguistic accuracy. Despite mainly using certified translators, critical issues with the text and images contained in the COVID-19 translated health education materials were identified. Similar forms of assessment could provide high-quality translated materials without undergoing major document revision.

Implications for research and/or practice: Similar forms of assessment could provide high-quality translated materials without undergoing major document revision.