Measuring impact of storyline engagement on health knowledge, attitudes, and norms: a digital evaluation of an online health-focused serial drama in West Africa
Outcomes: Gender‑Based Violence, Sexual and Reproductive Health
View SourceKey Social Norms Take-aways The study illustrates how digital entertainment-education content like C’est La Vie! (CLV) can influence health-related social norms in West Africa. Specifically, the show helped shift norms regarding female circumcision, emergency contraception, and sexual assault, with higher engagement levels leading to more pro-health attitudes. Importantly, different storylines had varying levels of impact, showing that both content and engagement level are crucial in driving …
Objectives To evaluate whether watching Season 2 of C’est La Vie! (CLV)—a French-language online health-focused serial drama—affected viewers’ health knowledge, attitudes, and norms (KAN) across West Africa, and whether engagement level with specific storylines influenced these outcomes.
Methods A longitudinal cohort study was conducted from July 2019 to July 2020 with 1,674 participants from Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire. Participants were recruited via Facebook and YouTube and completed baseline and follow-up surveys related to three storylines: sexual assault, emergency contraception, and female circumcision. Responses were analyzed using Item Response Theory (IRT) models and logistic regression to assess associations between exposure to CLV and pro-health respons…
Intervention Details C’est La Vie! is a serial drama that portrays healthcare providers and patients in a West African setting. It uses emotionally engaging storylines to address sensitive health issues and was made available both through traditional broadcast and online platforms. The show is designed to promote discussion and reflection on taboo health topics and encourage positive behavioral and social norm changes.
Results Participants who watched CLV had 26% higher odds of providing pro-health responses to KAN questions compared to non-viewers. High engagement with the emergency contraception storyline showed the strongest association with improved knowledge. Differences in impact were noted by storyline, with emergency contraception being the most influential, followed by female circumcision and sexual assault.
Conclusions The study demonstrates that online entertainment-education can effectively shift health knowledge, attitudes, and norms in West Africa. The success of CLV highlights the potential of combining emotionally compelling narratives with accessible digital platforms to drive meaningful change in health-related social norms.
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