Effectiveness of entertainment education in communicating health information: a systematic review

Abstract

In this paper, we conducted a meta-analysis of published studies on the effects of entertainment education (EE) on health communication. A search of databases identified 22 studies (N = 19517) that met our inclusion criteria and contained relevant statistics. Analysis of the results suggested that overall, EE’s effects on health outcomes – as measured by knowledge, attitudes, intention, and behaviors – was small but significant, with an average effect size (r) of .12, p < .001. Research designs (field studies vs. experiments) and exposure time (multiple episodes vs. one episode) were significant moderators of influence of EE in health communication. However, the impact of delivery channels, health issues, and study locations was not significant.