Empirical Study of the Effectiveness of Applied Theatre in Improving Sanitation Behaviour Among Rural Communities in Niger State

Applied theatre can bridge the gap between sanitation knowledge and behaviour change in rural communities where conventional public health messaging has limited traction, and empirically evaluating its effectiveness in Niger State addresses a rural public health challenge in North Central Nigeria. This study empirically evaluated the effectiveness of applied theatre sessions on sanitation behaviour change among rural households in Suleja, Lapai, and Agaie Local Government Areas, Niger State. A cluster-randomised controlled design was employed, with 12 villages assigned to applied theatre programming (n = 360 households) and 12 to conventional leaflet-based health education (n = 354 households). Sanitation behaviour (latrine use, handwashing, waste disposal) was measured at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 3 months post-intervention using a validated Sanitation Behaviour Observation Scale. Applied theatre communities showed significantly greater improvement in all three sanitation behaviours at both measurement points (p < 0.001). The sustained effect at 3-month follow-up was significantly larger in the applied theatre group than in the leaflet group. Community members in the theatre group showed higher behavioural peer reinforcement, with 68 percent reporting discussions of sanitation practices with neighbours after the sessions. The study provides the first randomised evaluation of applied theatre sanitation programming in North Central Nigeria and recommends integrating applied theatre into the Niger State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency outreach programmes, with facilitator training as the primary implementation requirement. Keywords: applied theatre, sanitation behaviour, rural communities, Niger State, cluster randomised trial