Actor–doctor partnership for theatre-based public health education

Abstract

Background: Limited evidence exists on the effectiveness of using an entertainment-education methodology to address multiple public health issues and of using participatory street theatre to improve public understanding related to public health. Objective: To assess the feasibility, acceptability and impact of the Actor–Doctor project, an intervention involving theatre professionals and medical specialists to jointly deliver street-theatre-based public health education. Design: A real-world, mixed-methods post-intervention study evaluated the Actor–Doctor project among 486 participants in Ahmedabad, India, in 2017. Setting and method: Focus group discussions with actors and semi-structured interviews with doctors and implementers assessed project feasibility, acceptability and perceived impact. Post-intervention surveys among actors, audience and a control group assessed impact on knowledge and attitudes related to select public health issues. Quantitative data were analysed using multivariable regression, and qualitative data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis. Results: The Actor–Doctor project was feasible to implement, as 20 street theatre performances on five public health themes were developed and staged. Members of the audience showed higher knowledge of environmental health, anaemia and openness to discussing sexual health issues, compared to a control group (omega squared 0.03–0.24; p < .001). Actors and doctors collaborating to create theatre-based public health education derived satisfaction from the project. Balancing scientific accuracy and entertainment, especially humour was challenging. Conclusion: The Actor–Doctor project was instrumental in improving public-health-related engagement between actors, doctors and the public.