Using village theatre to increase knowledge about eclampsia in Bangladesh.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the impact of a theatre based educational initiative on the knowledge and attitudes to eclampsia and its treatment in a rural Bangladeshi village.


METHODS
An established theatre company, Theatre Centre for Social Development, performed scenarios regarding eclamptic pregnant women to a diverse audience of village observers. Before the performance 15 men and 15 women were randomly selected from the audience and asked a series of questions regarding eclampsia. After the performance the series of questions were repeated to the same people.


RESULTS
The plays were enthusiastically received by the villagers. The level of knowledge of the villagers interviewed increased significantly after seeing the two plays.


CONCLUSIONS
The intervention successfully raised both the awareness of eclampsia and the level of knowledge of effective treatments for eclampsia. Village theatre has shown the potential to be a very effective tool in Bangladeshi rural society.
Islam
K S
KS
Theatre Centre for Social Development, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Sachchu
S A
SA
Sandani
R
R
Bullough
C
C
Siraj
N
N
Dimmock
P
P
Johanson
R B
RB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001154:Art; D001459:Bangladesh; D004461:Eclampsia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012423:Rural Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires