Paternal perception of infant sleep risks and safety
Heather M Hirsch1,2,3, Samantha H Mullins1,2,3, Beverly K Miller4,5,6
1Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.
Injury Epidemiology
|April 12, 2018
Summary
Male caregivers know about safe infant sleep but don't always follow guidelines. Positive messaging and statistics can improve adherence to safe sleep practices for fathers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is a significant public health issue, with over 3400 sleep-related infant deaths annually in the US.
- Caregiver compliance with safe infant sleep recommendations is suboptimal, with limited research on paternal caregivers' perspectives.
- Understanding male caregivers' attitudes is crucial for developing effective safe sleep interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the determinants of safe infant sleep practices among male caregivers.
- To identify barriers and facilitators to adherence to safe sleep guidelines by fathers.
- To inform the development of targeted safe sleep messaging for male caregivers.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing focus groups with 46 male caregivers of infants aged 2-12 months in Arkansas.
- The Health Belief Model guided the focus group moderator's guide.
- Transcript-based analysis and coding were used to identify key themes.
Main Results:
- Inconsistent adherence to safe sleep practices was reported, with better reported adherence to safe sleep location and supine position than uncluttered bed environments.
- Barriers included lack of perceived risk, comfort, resources, and family disagreements.
- Male caregivers desired positive portrayals of fathers promoting safety and inclusion of statistics on unsafe sleep hazards.
Conclusions:
- Male caregivers possess some knowledge of infant sleep safety but do not consistently practice all recommended behaviors.
- Targeted messaging incorporating factual information, statistics, and positive male caregiver imagery is needed.
- Interventions should consider venues and communication channels trusted by male caregivers.
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